Age of Rocket
by Zephyr Moore
Summary: Team Rocket victorious. Pokemon technology as we know it is gone. Pokeballs, Pokecenters, and more cease to exist. 100 years later, Lyss, a young girl, refuses to submit to Rockets iron rule and nearly brings destruction down on her hometown in the process. What will she discover about the organization after falling in with a group of rebels? Rated T - violence/death. REVISED END
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Walls flashed past as the young boy raced down the hall, his dark hair pressed beneath a Pokemon League cap. Everything was metal, sterile, and uninviting. Door after door passed by, each place harboring secrets he didn't want to know. Once already he stopped to look inside, wondering if the room held any clue for him, but what he found inside forced him from the room, slamming the door behind him.

Ash didn't know where he was going, but he was willing to bet it wasn't through any small door, and he didn't want to open anymore anyway. The atrocities Team Rocket committed behind closed doors were infinitely worse than what they did in open view. Which only made him more afraid for his friends.

They'd all come in together, determined to stop Team Rocket's latest plan, just like they had in the past. This time though, something was different. No Rocket grunts or executives tried to bar their way, no pokemon were left as guards. There was nothing but an empty building.

That thought was their first mistake.

Maybe they let their guard down, lulled by the silence and emptiness, or maybe they just weren't prepared. Either way, when the Rocket hideout turned into a fun house of traps, they fell right into them. Ash came in with those closest to him, his ever faithful Pikachu and his best friends Misty and Brock, but now he was alone.

They'd tried to fight, hands reaching for the pokeballs to save themselves, but it all happened so fast. Ash managed not to get caught, but seeing his friends snatched away made him frantic. He'd tossed out a pokeball, intent on summoning his powerful Charizard to save them - only to watch the ball bounce to the ground. In that moment of confusion, he lost all chance to save his friends. They disappeared into the traps.

He tried his other pokeballs after that, but none would open. His pokemon were lost to him as much as his friends.

Now he ran through the hideout alone, desperate to find where his friends were taken. Even stopping Team Rocket hardly mattered anymore. Much as he wanted to punch their lights out, he wanted his friends back more. They had to be somewhere. They had to be okay.

The repetition of the hideout finally gave way and Ash skidded to a stop. His breath came in gasps as he stared around the large room that opened up before him. Machines littered the room. Lights flashed across the consoles and the room filled with the hum of technology. A giant monitor adorned the far wall, but it sat black and silent. The room, for all it held, was barren.

He looked all around the room, brief glances flicking from wall to wall, but saw no other doors, no other paths onward. It was a dead end, and his heart plummeted even as exhaustion burned through him. How long had he run, only to find his friends nowhere in sight?

The giant screen flashed to life, drawing his eyes to it. Anger stirred at who he saw there - Giovanni.

"Ah, Ash Ketchum," the Rocket leader spoke, his words slow, unconcerned. "I somehow knew you'd find your way to my control room."

"Where are my friends?" Ash demanded. Nothing else the blasted man said would matter.

"Your friends," Giovanni chuckled, and Ash clenched his jaw harder. "They're safe, and I'll even show them to you. Wouldn't you like to know what I'm up to first though? You children came here to stop me after all."

"I don't care what you're doing!" Ash snapped, his short patience fraying. "We'll stop you! Now let my friends go!"

Giovanni just shook his head, though he didn't look the least bit upset. "A child could never stop me, and you are clearly nothing but a child.

"So be it! Here are your friends." A wall off to Ash's far left slid down into the floor as the Rocket leader spoke. Behind it was a wall of glass, locking away a much smaller room. As the first wall slid down into the floor with a click, Ash gasped. His friends were there - Pikachu, Misty, and Brock. Shackles held their unconscious forms to the wall.

"But first," Giovanni's voice cut through Ash's worried thoughts, stopping him before he could move toward them, "perhaps you'd like to meet my new friend." The camera panned over to the side, its focus shifting from the man's close form to one much farther back. A large cage sat in the background, its bars thick and close together. Spaced around the cage were fifteen coffin shaped blocks embedded into the bars, yet it was the ominous energy pulsing through the metal that most caught Ash's attention - that, and the form trapped within.

His breath caught. It was impossible. There's no way Team Rocket could catch him. He's a god!

"Arceus..."

Giovanni stepped back into the scene, close to the camera lens, and wearing a confident smirk. "Very good, Ash. Not many would recognize such a pokemon on sight, but you never were just anyone."

Ash snapped out of his stupor to glare at the man. "Let him go! You can't hold him, you have no idea what'll happen!"

"Oh but I do! I have great plans for him." Giovanni flicked his wrist, a clear dismissal. "But you're not interested in any of that, so I won't bore you. Instead, I'm going to give you a choice." The whir of machinery increased as two panels slid open, one on each side of the room. Ash glanced between them, suspicious, and a little worried. "In just moments, my machine will finish the circuit around Arceus and he'll be mine to control. But just before that, I'm going to start venting the air from the room holding your friends."

Ash froze. He wouldn't- "And we're starting now," Giovanni said, sending Ash another smirk. An electronic beep sounded over their connection, then the sound of a fan, dull to his ears, but its effect on his friends clear. Their hair and clothes flapped, pulled upward as the air escaped their room.

Ash sent his darkest glare at the screen. "Giovanni-"

"The switch on your left will release your friends," the man spoke over Ash's words, "while the switch on your right will release Arceus from my cage. Choose fast, Ash Ketchum, the finale is only seconds away!"

Why? Why would the Rocket leader give him a choice like this, a chance to stop his scheme before it even started? Even at the cost of those dearest to him? Would Giovanni kill his friends no matter what Ash chose? Would the switches even do anything when Ash pulled one? Or was it all a scam, a way to torture Ash for defying him so many times?

He had no way to know, but in those seconds, as he watched his best friends slowly suffocate, it didn't matter. Stopping Team Rocket meant letting them die there in that little room. If he saved them, they could still fight, together. They'd stop Giovanni, free Arceus, and save the world one more time - together. It wasn't like this was his only chance.

He had to believe that.

So he ran, pushing his legs as fast as he could manage to reach that switch. He couldn't let them die. He couldn't do anything without them. Every time he'd ever done anything worthwhile, it'd been with them at his side. They'd understand, and everything would be alright in the end.

His eyes burned and his vision blurred as he slammed into the wall by the switch and yanked it down.

Everything had to be alright.

It had to be.

* * *

A/N: Short first chapter because I wanted a clear cut separation between this part and the next. With this intro out of the way, its onto the main story!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 _100 years later_

The streets of Cerulean City weren't often crowded. Maybe it was because it was originally known as a city of water, but the builders understood flow, and as people went about their daily lives, they passed from place to place with ease. It also made the streets easy to blockade, and allowed for funneling the population into one location.

Today was one of those days.

Lyss hated crowds like this, and kept her long, raven black hair up in a tight braid to prevent it from getting snagged in the press of bodies. People milled around the square, their feet shifting back and forth with nowhere to go. The chatter of voices was just loud enough to be annoying, and the young girl wished it was later in the year. During the winter it was cold enough for her to wear the wool hat with the floppy ears – it looked ridiculous, but it kept her warm and helped her feel separate from everything going on. She tried to be out of town when these kinds of thing happened the rest of the year, something she'd failed at on that particular day.

Bodies shifted around her, pressing at her, and she pushed back to keep from getting crushed against the wall. She always kept to the fringes of the throng, kept her back to the wall, but as helpful as that was, it had its downsides too. She threw a longing glance at the rooftops. It wouldn't be hard to get up there, and she'd done it on calmer, normal days, but not these kind of days. The last thing she wanted was to stand out. Even with the other kids sitting up there out of the way, it still felt too exposed to her.

No, better to stay down on the ground, invisible behind the lines of people in the square.

The crowd pulsed outward again, and she growled at the uncomfortable position she was squeezed into in order to keep her backpack from getting crushed against the wall. If they didn't give her some room in about three seconds-

Lights flickered into life in the sky above them and the noise of the crowd stopped. Their shifting stopped. Silence penetrated the air, and Lyss used the opportunity to squeeze out into a open spot. It put her in better view, no longer between the crowd and the building wall, but they'd suffocate here if she stayed in there. She could see the image in the sky come together better from there too, but that wasn't high on her priority list. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him up there, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. She didn't understand this whole mess in the first place. They could watch him on their vid-screens at home and hear it all just as well, or better, but instead they were corralled out there like Tauros.

With a sigh, she resigned herself to being stuck there and stared up at the sky. If any Rockets came by, it was better if she appeared to be paying attention.

The man in the image stood straight and tall, his hands clasped behind his back, and even from so high above, he still managed to look down his nose at the rest of them. His black hair was slicked back, his suit crisp and expensive. Everything about him screamed money and control. It was repulsive, though that wasn't the intended impression.

"Citizens of Kanto," the man's voice boomed out over the square, "you know who I am. I am your leader, your provider, and if need be, your executioner. I am Giovanni, and you are here because I will it."

He paused, probably thought it was dramatic, before continuing with his mind numbing speech. Lyss tuned him out, instead slipping her headphones in under her hood. Music filled her ears, blocking out the words she had no interest in hearing, and she relaxed. Now she just had to wait the whole thing out.

It was always the same thing - I'm Giovanni, I don't age, obey me. Not that it wasn't true, but she got tired of hearing it. He already forbid them from rebuilding anything where the Cerulean gym once stood. The pile of rubble there was just another way of rubbing their faces in it all.

Lyss knew she should be terrified of Team Rocket, but she hated them too much for everything they did to feel anything else. Most of the time.

A hand spun her around, bringing her face to face a man with one of the very Rocket uniforms she was thinking of. His face had an annoyed set to it as he jabbered at her, and she reached a hand through the hole in her coat pocket to yank the headphones out of her ears.

"-tion to the boss!" The tone was harsh and though she didn't catch all the words, he got his message across well enough.

"Of course I'm listening," she scowled back as she stalled long enough to hear a few of Giovanni's words. "He's warning us not to go near any pokemon. They're dangerous."

He glared down at her. "You're pretty mouthy. Maybe I'll confiscate that bag of yours, you could be a rebel."

She jumped back a step. "You can't do that." This was trouble she didn't need.

"You new around here?" he snorted. "Team Rocket does what it wants."

His words were a little too true, and she squeezed her hands into fists. "Maybe Giovanni can, but you're just his flunkie!" she spat.

His expression darkened and he stepped toward her. Laughter from behind him spared Lyss his intent, as he stopped and turned to the sound. An approaching woman was the source, and his mouth twisted as she approached. "She called you a flunkie!" the woman cackled.

"Be quiet, Eva, I'm handling this."

A shiver went through Lyss on seeing the woman approach, a second Rocket. No matter her feelings on them, they were dangerous, and things were spinning out of her control far too quickly. She turned and bolted into the crowd.

A shout went up behind her - they didn't miss her departure - and she pushed harder, desperate to disappear among the crowd.

"Stop her!" the man yelled as he shoved through the onlookers with less success. "Stop that girl!"

As the people in the crowd shifted their barren gazes from the sky to the shouting man, the feeling in the area changed. The sight of a Team Rocket uniform among them caught the attention of everyone in view, and the news spread to those who couldn't see in hushed murmurs that grew in volume before she made it ten feet through the crush. She could hear it all behind her as people she'd shoved out of the way only a moment before put it all together. It wasn't hard to guess who the Rocket wanted when Lyss was the only one running the other direction. She still wasn't close enough to the edge of the crowd, and she'd never make it before the people in front of her joined her pursuers.

A flash of inspiration had her slipping between a few more people, with stealth rather then force. Then she grabbed a girl about her height she'd spotted and shoved her hard as she could into the crowd just as the shouting caught up.

"There she is!" Lyss shouted, pointing as she pressed back into the still unaware crowd. "Grab her!"

Lyss didn't wait to see the result. Making herself as small as possible, she squeezed into the crowd. Her heart pounded as she forced herself to slow down. Going any faster would draw attention, but at any moment Team Rocket would figure out her ploy, realize they had the wrong girl, and take up the search all over again. She needed to be out of there before then, and her heart jumped into her throat with every new shout that rose into the air.

Finally she slipped from the crowd, stumbling at the sudden freedom. The city streets lay open before her, but still she made herself walk while her blood urged her to run. Only once she turned down an alley out of sight of the square did she let loose. All the tension left her exhausted before she even started running, but she refused to stop until she got out of the city. She had to get out of town until things cooled down.

Her guardians would be furious with her for going missing, but part of her didn't care, and either way it was the least of her worries. Streets flashed by as she ran, each new lane bringing a new bloom of unease in her chest. She never ran into anyone though, everyone in the city was still back in the square, or at least not any further out then her. For once, she was grateful for the eerie emptiness of the city during these gatherings.

When it appeared, the treeline was a welcome sight. The forest around Cerulean wasn't dense, more of a scattering of trees and general foliage, but at the moment it was a sanctuary, a fortress of safety. Out there she could hide from just about anyone, and she should only need the rest of the day. Lyss couldn't imagine the couple Rocket members worrying enough about her to conduct some full scale manhunt, and they didn't know who she was so they couldn't put a price on her head. And over what, a little backtalk?

No, a little time to herself out of the city would sort the mess out. Everything would be fine.

A clap of thunder made her flinch, and she cursed for jinxing herself with such thoughts. Clouds were a common sight on the gathering days, they made it easier to see Giovanni's projection, but she hadn't noticed the darker shade of those overhead. She eyed the sky with concern. Now she'd have to find shelter of some sort since she couldn't go back to the city. On a positive note though, a storm would help dissuade the Rockets from spending their time looking for her, and she should have some time before-

A fat raindrop splattered across her forehead, dashing her hopeful thoughts as she wiped the water away before it could roll into her eyes. She glared up at the clouds, which earned her a drop to the eye. Another hit her nose. Two more plopped onto her head.

Then, like a lever opened the floodgates, the deluge began. She shrieked as a curtain of water cascaded over her, drenching her to the skin before she even made it under the nearest tree. Unfortunately, the leaves above did little under the wrath of the downpour, and she groaned as she leaned against the stiff trunk

"I hate rain," she muttered as the world around her darkened through the sheets of water.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Drops fell from the sky in torrents, like the clouds had taken offense to her attempts to stay dry. The coat she wore dripped water in a constant stream, unable to hold anymore on its surface, while droplets splashed down over her face to drench the bits of hair peeking out from her hood, sticking it to her forehead regardless of her attempts to push them aside. It was hard enough to see through the curtain of rain without tendrils of hair dipping into her eyes.

Lyss growled as she trudged across the muddy ground. The trees around her did nothing to block the downpour, serving only to provide roots for her to stumble over. The forest was not somewhere she'd hoped to be after nightfall. Unfortunately, her sense of direction wasn't good enough to keep her from getting lost once she'd wandered from the trail.

Sharp points snagged her leg and she winced as the fabric yanked free of the thorns. She glared at the tear in her pants. Her guardian would probably point it out first thing when Lyss got back. Never mind that she'd been out missing long past curfew. No, it'd be, 'I expect you to sew that up before you go to bed, Lyss.'

Pesky woman.

Light flashed though the leaves overhead and she cringed as thunder crashed around her. How did a storm even come up out of nowhere? Sure, it'd been a cloudy day, but this? It was ridiculous.

Another lightning strike reminded her to keep moving. Wet or not, the middle of a forest was not somewhere she wanted to be with a storm right overhead.

A soft whimper escaped her backpack even as it rustled around. She sighed. Miserable as she was, her Flareon had it worse. This kind of weather was the worst for them, and while the bag kept most of the water out, the dampness couldn't be comfortable. She trudged on for his sake more then her own. If she'd known the day was going to go this way she'd have left him hidden away at home. No point dwelling on what was done though.

All the lightning had one positive at least. The flashes of light cut through the obscuring rain, and at last she spotted what she knew was out there somewhere – Mt. Moon. With its size, she had to run across it eventually, and she hurried toward a cave opening as soon as she saw it. Mt. Moon wasn't the safest place to be, but it couldn't be worse then staying out there.

She took the thought back, regretting it even as she jogged into the relative dryness of the rock opening. Things could always get worse.

Her Flareon, Smoke, leapt out of the bag before she even got it onto the floor. In the dark of the cave he lit up like a beacon, and Lyss moaned in relief as the warmth rolled off him, his inner fire burning bright now that he wasn't confined to the flammable bag. She leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, and he curled up beside her.

Lyss trailed her fingers through his fur. "You, Smoke, are a godsend." Smoke rumbled, the sound pleased and content, and she smiled. It wasn't quite a purr, but she long ago learned it meant much the same. With a sigh, she leaned her head back to look around their new shelter. Not that she could see very far, but far enough to know their little cove wasn't the extent of the cave. A tunnel led away from the back, winding away to... somewhere. She had no way of knowing where, so the question was did she want to find out?

At the moment, she didn't even want to move, so whatever was down there could stay there. Since Smoke lay there, eyes closed and head between his paws, he must agree. That was good enough.

She shifted, laying her backpack out to use as a pillow as she lay down beside her friend. Maybe she'd just wait out the storm. She could use a nap.

#

Lyss awoke to a warm nose nudging her. Fatigue hung around her like a blanket and for a moment she wondered why her bed was so hard. Smoke's growl cut through her fog - he didn't make that sound often. Darkness still surrounded her as she blinked off sleep and pushed to her feet, learning against the wall for balance. The storm had let up somewhat, but water still rained from the sky.

Smoke's growl came again, echoing off the rock around them. Worse, he faced the tunnel going deeper into the cave, which meant going back into the rain was the only way to get away from whatever had disturbed him. Looking at their options, the unknown danger seemed more appealing. All things considered, she didn't think Smoke would disagree.

Lyss put a hand to his fur, quieting him as she stepped further into the cave. It was slow going. The rock floor was slick with water and covered in holes to twist an ankle and bumps to trip over. Only Smoke's light let her move on at all, and it was dimmer then she'd like. He didn't have the convenience of a Charmander's tail after all.

Then his light wasn't the only source. A different glow in the distance lit up a bend in the tunnel, and if she wasn't already moving at a Slowpoke's pace she would've slowed down. She strained her ears instead, hoping to pick up something, some hint of what was waiting for them. Stumbling into the lair of lava pokemon, while unlikely, wasn't an appealing thought. Her Flareon's hearing was far better then hers, but so was his sense of smell. Anything could've set him off.

As sounds floated to her ears, Smoke rumbled, his fur standing on end. She pressed against the wall as they came to the bend. This must be the place. At a painful crawl, she slipped forward and peeked around the rock wall, her mouth falling open at the sight - Team Rocket, there with their modified pokemon. And it looked like they were intent on adding to their numbers.

Wild pokemon pressed against the walls, backed as far from the intruders as they could get. Some refused to stand down, their postures aggressive and punctuated with growls of warning, while others huddled together behind them, shivering. The Team Rocket members paid then no attention as they talked among themselves. Their pokemon stood like statues at guard. Lyss felt cold just looking at the things - half pokemon, half mechanical monstrosities.

"This next batch should be perfect," one of the Rocket's was saying. "These rock types take to the augments better then most."

Another Rocket laughed. "Remember when they used water types? Now there was a show!" The others joined in and Lyss found her hands clenching, her nails biting into her skin.

A growl from Smoke mirrored her thoughts. These people were monsters. Others always warned her to stay away from Team Rocket, just do what they said and stay out of their way. They were dangerous. They were also in charge.

But this was too much.

She laid a hand on Smoke's head. "We've gotta get those pokemon out of here." He gave a soft yip and nudged her hand. "Right, you know what to do then. Be careful."

Smoke went right to it, blowing out a cloud of smog to fill the room. The response was instant as the Rocket's began to shout over the sudden change. Their lights spun through the black cloud, doing little more then reflecting the beams in useless directions.

Then they started to move and Smoke started on step two as he dug into the ground beneath them. Lyss crossed the tunnel once the smoke filled it and pressed herself into the inner corner. She squatted there, eyes closed and air mask pressed to her mouth. After Team Rocket covered the land in their factories such masks became a necessity for many travelers. Lyss carried it for a different reason.

She tucked herself out of the way as much as possible and waited. Any moment the Rocket's would file down the tunnel, out of the smoke cloud and into open air. They'd come back, but by then the pokemon would be gone.

No stampede of steps came though, and she began to worry. All she heard was an odd humming sound.

"Well, what have we here?" Lyss startled at the voice and froze. She opened her eyes, just a crack - the smoke was gone. She spun, putting her back to the wall. The whole group of Rocket members stood looking at her, while the man in front leered down at her in a way that made her skin crawl. "Just passing through maybe?"

She nodded. "I-"

"Through a cave that doesn't go anywhere? Bull." He grabbed her collar and yanked her to her feet. "And I don't think that was a smoke bomb either, so how about you tell us where it is?"

She swallowed. "What-"

He slammed her up against the wall. Pain lanced through her as she hit the uneven rocks. "Don't play dumb," he growled after her head cleared. "The pokemon that tried to smoke us out. Pretty dumb move too, like we wouldn't be able to handle a basic tactic like that."

"How-" His arm jerked her and she flinched, wrapping her arms around her head.

The chuckle that followed was not a happy sound. "Now we're starting to understand each other. So where is it?"

She didn't get a chance to answer. In the following silence came the sound of shifting dirt, and the Rocket's turned toward the trapped pokemon even as the hole appeared in the ground before them and a furry head popped out. Panic flooded her. Without the smog to cover his arrival, Smoke didn't have a chance.

She lashed out with a kick and was rewarded as the large Rocket grunted in pain. "Heat Wave!"

Smoke's ears perked at her voice and he jumped out of the hole to face them. His fur glowed a vivid orange, brightening as it heated up. Then he released it and the wave rolled over them all. Screams rose as those closest were hit with the full effect, their moves frantic as they dove for cover or were burned out in the open. Lyss found herself grateful to be in her position, held up by the large Rocket as the wave hit them and his body blocked the worst of it. She still covered her face as best she could - it was like sticking her head in front of an oven.

There wasn't much time though. Twisting her neck, she bit down hard on the hand holding her, scratched at any skin she could reach, and flailed her feet at the man. She probably looked crazy, but it worked - he dropped her. Pushing past the man, she caught sight of Smoke. "Get out of here!" The pokemon tensed at her yell, but hesitated. "Go! GO!" He fled then, dashing into the tunnels and roaring at any lingering pokemon, sending then scattering. Watching him go, Lyss breathed a sigh of relief.

A hand grabbed the back of her neck, trapping the breath in her chest as she lifted clear of the ground. Its owner pulled her back until she could see him, the same man who had her before. He looked even more menacing then before. "You made your last mistake, girl." His fingers tightened around her throat, preventing any response. It didn't seem to make sense that he could squeeze the life from her one handed. Fear sank into her mind as her lungs screamed for air.

"Hey, Jake, lay off her." The man, Jake she guessed, glared at the speaker. They held up their hands. "Whoa, I'm just saying, did you see that pokemon she was ordering around? It was a Flareon," he enunciated the word, drawing it out. "You know the boss would kill for one of those."

Black spots floated into her vision as he ignored her continued struggling. She couldn't see his face anymore, couldn't see parts of the cave. It was like someone was turning out the lights, one by one. Her limbs didn't listen to her, barely slapping at the arm that held her.

Then a hot breath blew on her face. "You're gonna wish I'd killed you," the man whispered. Or, it sounded like a whisper. Everything was so far away.

So dark.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Lyss shot upright as her eyes opened. Her hand went to her throat, flinching away with a barely audible hiss as she touched it. Even breathing ached, and she could only imagine what it looked like. She should be thankful she woke up at all, but being strangled almost to death put her in a bitter mood.

She focused on her surroundings instead. The room around her was small, holding the single bed she woke up on and a toilet that didn't look like it'd ever been clean. A sheer sheet lay tangled around her feet, thrown off by her moments ago. Overhead hung a covered light, just out of reach and not providing much light. It gave the place a dank atmosphere, like a dungeon.

Or a prison.

The heavy steel door wasn't surprising given the revelation, and was no doubt locked. Lyss slumped back on the bed, the thin pillow doing little to cushion the impact. She'd been captured, kidnapped, by Team Rocket. Whatever they had in store for her, she wasn't looking forward to finding out.

Why'd they bother to take her though? Kidnapping wasn't really Team Rocket's operation, not unless they had something to gain from it, and what could some girl from the country do for them? She thought back to the cave but the memory was fuzzy. They'd tried to stop them, her and Smoke-

Smoke.

She looked around the room, though it would've been impossible to miss a pokemon in the small quarters. So he wasn't there. Right, she'd sent him away, but not before the Rocket's saw him. And now they wanted him.

She snorted. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. Wherever he was, Smoke was long gone. Which meant there was nothing she could tell them. That thought squashed her bravado. Team Rocket liked answers, expected them. If she couldn't give them any...

Taking a deep breath, Lyss got up. She needed to find a way out of there, preferably before they came for her. Since she didn't know when that would be, she didn't know how long she had. It was like having a gun to her head, clicking through empty chambers and not knowing where the live one was. Disturbing.

Stone walls enclosed her, save the small slotted window on the wall opposite the door. Very small, she'd be lucky to get her arm through it. The door was solid with no holes at all and she assumed they had other ways of watching her. A camera somewhere she couldn't see. Team Rocket was thorough about their surveillance, and quick to step in when they didn't like what they saw.

She leaned against the wall and sighed. There was nothing there, nothing to use, no way to get out. Nothing to do but wait for them to come for her. She hoped Smoke was safe. Realizing she may never see him again left a hollow ache in her chest. That she could still hear his soft yips just made it worse.

She froze when the sound came again, then bounced up on the bed and stuck her head up to the window slit. Smoke yipped again when he saw her as he sat just outside the wall.

"Smoke!" The name came out in a rasp, and she winced as her throat constricted in pain. "You shouldn't be here." The look he gave her was one she knew well. She frowned. "I'm not stupid, you're in danger."

He ignored her, instead hunching down. Smoke began to growl deep in his chest, his fur rippling as fire flickered to life across his body. It ran over him in waves as he crouched there, muscles taut, ready to pounce.

"No! Stop it, Smoke!" She tried to shout, but the words didn't even carry over his rumble. The fires intensified over him, and she shoved off the wall. He wasn't going to stop. Grunting with the effort, she flipped the hard bed up against the opposite wall, right beside the door. She squirmed underneath it and covered her ears.

She didn't have to wait long. A moment later the wall exploded inward. Stones slammed into the bed frame and bounced away, jarring her against the wall, but not otherwise hurting her. The meager mattress was going for something at least.

When the noise died down and the rocks had all settled, she peeked out from her makeshift barrier. The wall was gone, nothing more then a hole to the outside world. There in the middle of the room sat Smoke, until he spotted her and jumped at her with a yip.

She tried to frown, but couldn't hold it as he licked at her face. A giggle broke through and she squeezed her arms around him. "Using Flare Blitz on a stone wall - you could've been hurt." He didn't seem to care, and his warmth was blissful. She hadn't even realized she was cold, but with a Flareon for a friend, her scale could be off.

They slipped apart as she stood up. "We have to go. There's no way they missed that entrance." Smoke was a step ahead, already bounding out the hole as she glanced around the cell for her bag - which of course wasn't there. They wouldn't have left her with it. She dug into one pocket, rolling around the small stone charm there. They left it at least.

It annoyed her, but she ran out of the room empty handed. She was getting away with her life, losing her belongings in the process wasn't a bad deal. Smoke ran on beside her, measuring his pace with hers as they ran on. It didn't mater where they went, she just wanted to get away from there. Well, that wasn't true - she had to get home. The place wasn't much, but it was all she knew, and they'd be worried about her.

Not the woman who called herself Lyss' mother of course, never her. It was a small saving grace that she wasn't Lyss' real mother, but it wasn't much to compare against. Who was to say that the real woman would be any better? Lyss didn't know her, or her father for that matter.

After a time, it seemed they hadn't been followed. It wasn't like she could outrun their vehicles, so she'd expected to have to hide, take cover, and have an all around harrowing escape. So why then was there no sign of pursuit? No sounds beyond those of the day around them. It left her with a bad feeling. She really needed to get home. It was a good thing Smoke could find the way too, she hadn't the slightest clue where they even where.

Night was approaching as they neared the town, the entire day spent in travel, however much of it was left after she woke up in that room. Activity around town died down with the sun, a rule enforced by Team Rocket. The streets were empty, with everyone settled into their homes for the day. It was comforting that nobody would see her, but also disquieting to see everything so silent and still. She didn't always abide by the curfew, but she wasn't fool enough to hang around the streets after hours.

As her house came into view she slowed her pace, holding a finger to her lips to shush Smoke. He was just as accustomed to their escapades though, and was quieter then she could ever be as they crept toward the backdoor. Going in the front wasn't an option, to much potential for noise. That and Lyss didn't want to deal with her foster mother any more then she had to.

Lyss turned her key in the lock a breath at a time, listening for any voices within. She didn't hear any until she got the door open, and then they were soft, distant. In the living room likely, and out of her way regardless. She didn't need to pass through much of the house to reach the stairway up to her room. Already she was thinking of collapsing onto her bed, curling up in the sheets, with Smoke there beside her of course, and not moving until well into the next morning. It'd been that kind of day.

She locked the door and turned for the stairs when the hand grabbed her. Another clamped over her mouth before she got out the scream building in her chest. When her captor turned her to face them, she nearly fainted with relief - it was her foster father.

Adrenaline pumped through her system, slow to fade, and her face was murderous as he pulled his hand away. "You scare-," his hand smacked back over her mouth before she got two words out. Other hand raised to his lips, he motioned her to silence before releasing her. She still scowled, but dropped to a strained whisper. It still hurt to talk, but she couldn't stay quiet. "What're you doing? You scared the life out of me!"

"Team Rocket's here," he whispered, eyes hard. "Looking for you." Her heart dropped into her stomach. How did they find here? And so fast? Then she realized - her bag. They had her ID, and Team Rocket controlled the whole system. Finding her house would be a snap.

She shivered as she tugged a hand through her knotted hair. If Team Rocket was there, she was doomed. She could hear her foster mother's voice from the other room, talking with them. Turning Lyss over to them with a smile, no doubt. Still, she eyed the man in front of her with question. He'd always been nicer to her, but enough to go against his wife?

He must've seen the questions on her face. "Your mother's out there stalling them, but you have to get out of here. Now."

What? "Why would she do that?"

"I know she's hard on you, but it's for your own sake." He grimaced as he went on. "Everything has been to keep you from getting involved with Team Rocket. It was important you learned to stay away from them. For all the good it did." Shaking his head, he grasped her shoulders. "It doesn't matter now. I don't know what you did, but you have their full attention. You need to get away from them."

He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a slip of paper. "Take this to Pewter City, find Slate. He'll help you."

It was too much to take in. "I don't understand."

"It doesn't matter, just go. They'll tell you more when you get there." He was turning and ushering her out the door as he spoke. "We'll keep them here as long as we can, but you need to run."

Lyss' feet shuffled along the floor as he half pushed her out the door. "But why? They could arrest you for this, or worse. I'm not even your real daughter."

He paused then and let her turn back to him. They stood there a moment, each on a different side of the door, a sudden, stark separation. When he spoke, his voice stayed low but wavered. "You may not be our blood, but you've always been our daughter." He stepped back, closing the door. "Now go. Stay safe."

Even with the door closed, Lyss didn't move. What could she do other then stare at her home? It'd never really felt like one before - would it ever be one again? Team Rocket wouldn't give up, wouldn't accept their excuses, their lies. Would her parents be there when she came back? If she came back?

Smoke bumped her leg, nudging her to move. She forced the fog from her thoughts. He was right, she couldn't stay there. Regardless of anything else, Team Rocket was after her, and she didn't want to get caught. Her hand rubbed at her throat, even the light touches reminding her what happened last time.

She turned away and fled down the dark streets, Smoke right beside her. It was a comfort that he at least stayed the same, with her no matter what. The trip to Pewter from Cerulean would be a long one. Maybe she'd get lucky and be able to hitch a ride around the mountain. Mt. Moon was out of the question, she wasn't risking a repeat encounter with Team Rocket there

First things first though - put some distance between her and Team Rocket back in the city. Find some place to spend the night before she passed out on her feet. Work on getting to Pewter tomorrow. Then find whoever Slate was and go from there. How would he keep her safe from Team Rocket? Why would he bother? How did he know her foster parents?

She needed answers.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Considering ownership of pokemon was outlawed, and being friends with them didn't really count as a viable loophole, hiding Smoke while she tried to catch a ride was a nerve wracking experience. Without a bag all they could do was have him dash in and out of sight, and pray that if someone picked them up there'd be somewhere for him to sneak into.

As another pair of headlights approached, they repeated the process. Smoke dashed off behind a tree while Lyss tried to flag down the vehicle. To her surprise, it pulled over to her and stopped. She lit up, glad to finally have a chance, but as she peered in the open window her words failed her.

"Hey there!" said the young man, someone she recognized, if not well. "Lyss, right? Your dad said you'd be out here. He sent me off on an urgent delivery, asked if I could give you a lift."

She hesitated. What if Team Rocket sent him? "Who're you?"

He looked confused by the question. "I'm Mark," he said. "I work for your father. We've met before."

Mark. Right. She did remember him. "You know why I'm out here?"

He shrugged."Sort of. Your dad said you got into some trouble, needed to get out of the city for awhile." Did that make him more or less trustworthy? When she still didn't get in, he went on. "I'm guessing it has to do with Team Rocket, since they were snooping around when I left, and I know how your parents try to keep you away from them."

That got her attention. It was similar to what her father had said before pushing her out. For now, she needed to trust him. It wasn't like she had a lot of options. With a call to Smoke, she hopped in the car, keeping the door open long enough for him to hop into the backseat. Some of the people in town knew about her friendship with him, those closest to her family, so that at least was one less thing to worry about. Besides, getting off her feet was too compelling.

As she buckled in, Mark got the car going again. "Alright," she started after savoring the comfort a moment, "now, what was that bit about me staying away from Team Rocket?"

He shrugged. "It's just what I've been told. They said you'd be in danger if Team Rocket got their hands on you." He glanced at her. "More so then normal."

"Why?"

"They didn't tell me." Mark kept his eyes straight ahead, watching the road. That was a good thing, but she couldn't help feel he just didn't want to look at her.

"They told you something," she pressed.

His fingers tapped a rhythm over the steering wheel as he drove on in silence. When he did glance over she was still staring at him, waiting. He groaned and rolled his neck. "Look, they didn't really tell me anything," her glare deepened when his eyes flicked over her, "I just overhead something, that's all. They said it was because of your parents."

Lyss' face twisted. "Wait, my foster parents said it was about themselves? Or Team Rocket said it was about my parents?"

"Neither. Your parents weren't talking about themselves. They meant your real parents."

She stared at him as that sank in. "Oh."

"And that's all I know, really. I don't know any more about them then you do."

With no response to that, Lyss fell back into her seat and turned to stare out the window. So what did that mean? Were her parents important? Did her foster parents know who they were, even after insisting they didn't? "So does this Slate guy know?"

Mark flicked a glance at her. "Who's Slate?"

Her shoulders slouched. "Just someone I'm supposed to meet."

The conversation died after that as she fell into her thoughts, staring out the window. Trees flashed by in the dark, phantoms visible only in the light. The area was a stark contrast to the city. Team Rocket made all sorts of technological advances since they'd been in charge, but all of it benefited them. The routes between the cities didn't. What electrical lines once connected them had long since been destroyed or broken down with lack of maintenance. It made traveling eerie in the best of nights, and downright terrifying in others. Team Rocket didn't care, they flew over it all. The open areas were actually the safest, if you wanted to stay away from them.

Didn't help you with wild pokemon though. Individuals weren't allowed to have pokemon, and after everything Team Rocket had done to them, wild pokemon were true to their name - wild. Being outside a city was a good way to get killed.

Lyss sighed, resigned to waiting and watching the world flash by outside. Questions bounced through her mind without answers. Her dad wasn't forthcoming about this Slate guy if Mark didn't know. You'd think he would've told the guy he sent after her, but Mark was just her ride apparently. Still, why wouldn't her dad send her to a friend of the family, someone she knew? And if Slate was a friend, why had she never heard of him?

All she could do was wait and see. Slate would have some explaining to do.

#

Mark dropped her off outside Pewter with a wave and a wish good luck before driving off. Which left her alone again, and the silence wasted no time wrapping around her. Smoke was a friend she wouldn't trade for anything, but he wasn't talkative.

She took a deep breath before heading in to the city. She had no idea where to go or what to expect. Pewter was too close to Viridian for comfort, but otherwise not worth notice. The city was small and unremarkable. Why would they send her there? Standing there wouldn't get her anywhere, so slipped down the streets with a watchful eye. The sun came up some time ago and the early morning hours wrapped the town like a blanket as the warm rays cut through the leftover chill of night. Still, lots of people got an early start, and she had no way of hiding Smoke as she made her way through the town, leaving her jumpy and anxious.

The streets didn't reveal much. She caught a glimpse of the old gym in the center of the city, but didn't dare go that far inward. The place was easy enough to recognize though, just look for the pile of rubble. Every city was the same. After taking over, Team Rocket destroyed the gyms and prohibited anything from ever being built over them. A constant reminder of their power. Foolish bravado. What better way to ignite people then to rub their faces in what they lost?

Against what she thought though, the tactic seemed to work. Team Rocket kept full control over the cowed citizens. There'd never been an uprising against them, or maybe the Team was just that fast in putting them down. They didn't hold back, and had no qualms destroying whole cities if need be. They'd just rebuild them later and call it job security.

Except Pallet. The little town never had a gym, but that didn't stop Team Rocket from turning the once green plains into a wasteland. It was still the same to that day.

Spotting something she needed, Lyss ushered Smoke off to hide as she went into the nearby building - a general store. The shop opened early, a blessing to her just then, and its bell rang as the automatic door slid aside. Across the store, the clerk looked up and smiled.

"Welcome and good morning, young lady," the older man called out. It sound like something he'd said day after day for years.

Lyss smiled in return and walked up to him. Might as well take the most direct route. "Hi, I'm looking for a backpack, with a lot of space."

"Traveler, eh?" he asked as he slid out from behind the counter. "Thought you might be new in town. Don't get many visitors this far south." She bet they didn't. Only Viridian and Pallet were further south, and nobody but Team Rocket went anywhere near the two. She stayed silent though as he led her on. "Here we go. We've got your backpacks, knapsacks, shoulder bags, duffel bags, courier bags, and, if you need, sleeping bags."

Lyss smothered a laugh. "Umm," she poked around through the available bags, passing right by the purses. Those weren't even remotely useful. It needed to be large enough to carry Smoke, and everything else she needed, which wasn't much. Some basic supplies, emergency food, her wallet-

"Ah!" she shouted, startling the man as she dragged a hand through her hair. Groaning, she turned to him. "Sorry. I came to replace the bag that I lost, but I forgot my wallet was in that bag."

"That's rough," he replied. "You might be able to find some work here in Pewter. Can't go anywhere without some funds, right?"

She sighed, gazing at the bags she couldn't buy. "Yeah, maybe." Things weren't going her way so far, and she was only a day on the run. A memory struck her then. "Oh, do you know someone named Slate?"

His eyes flicked away as he rubbed his chin. "Slate? Don't believe there's anyone in town by that name."

Her shoulders fell. "Are you sure? I was supposed to meet him here..." Without Slate, she had no idea what she was doing. She couldn't go home, Team Rocket was looking for her, she had no money, and she couldn't even travel with Smoke safely.

"Now hold on there, girl. No crying now." Blinking, she looked up to him. Her eyes were dry, but her feelings must've shown on her face. "Why not stop by Mr. Nolan's house? He's... well, not our mayor, can't have one of those, but he's respected. Might be able to help you out or your jam."

"Maybe," she nodded. "How do I get there?"

"Just across town. Here," he went behind his desk, "I'll get you a map."

After thanking him, Lyss left the store, map in hand. The town was small, no denying that, and across town wasn't even father then she could see, so she picked out the large house with ease. The map felt unnecessary for such a town. Maybe the store owner just liked giving them away to tourists, the ones he said they never got.

Guess they didn't run out of maps then.

Regardless, Pewter was no Cerulean. At home she spent days exploring the streets, finding every nook and cranny. Not because it took days, but more for lack of anything better to do. Even in a larger city life got boring fast, so she couldn't imagine growing up in Pewter. People either grew up and worked for Team Rocket or they got stuck working in the corner store like the old man that helped her. Team Rocket allowed nothing else.

Lyss strolled up to the house, checking it as she went. It looked quiet - though the early morning explained that - and old. White siding, brown door, and the kind of porch you expected to see people sitting on in the evenings, relaxing in their chairs and watching the sun go down. Curtains blocked view through the windows but a rough mat sat just outside the door, a large 'welcome' emblazoned on it.

Hesitation held her back from the door as she glanced off to the sides. Small rows of bushes scattered around the streets, a meager attempt at mixing greenery in with the stone strewn town, and she peered into them until a flash of orange caught her eye. Relief flowed through her as a pair of bright eyes stared back into her own, hidden as well as one of his coloring could be. Feeling better, she went ahead and knocked on the door.

It was a moment before she heard any movement inside, though not as long as she expected given the time. When the door opened she found herself faced with an old woman. Lyss would even call her ancient as she leaned over a cane, wool shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and Lyss was even more impressed at how fast she'd gotten to the door.

Lyss pulled on a smile as the woman stared at her. "Hi, I'm just, well..." she paused - what did she want exactly? "Umm, I was told there was someone here I could talk to for help? I'm kinda stuck in town."

"And who told you that?" Though the woman's voice came out just as old as the rest of her, there was a clarity to it that suggested nothing was wrong her mind.

The answer stuck in her throat - she hadn't asked the man's name. "The man who runs the general store."

The woman grunted and turned away. "Come on, you're letting all the cold air in." Lyss jumped across the threshold and shut the door behind her. Inside the house looked as she expected, a place of simple means. Quaint. "Sit." The woman's voice snapped like a whip, drawing Lyss from her thoughts. She hurried over to the chair as the woman wandered off, offering a parting comment of, "Wait here."

So Lyss waited. No sounds carried to her from down the hall. No animals, no children, not even the morning news from a nearby vid-screen or radio. It was unnerving. Maybe it was just too early and the house was still asleep, or maybe the old lady lived alone, though if that was the case then where'd she go? Maybe she was the type that felt compelled to serve tea to everyone.

Lyss sighed. She could throw maybe's around all day, it did nothing to calm her nerves. Her eyes jumped around the room as she waited. A decorative rug coated the hardwood floor while a couch adorned the other side of the room, a quilt draped over its back. Beside her chair was an end table with a little dish of candies filled to the brim. No books or magazines lay around the room, nor dishes or clothing or anything else you might expect to see. The place was immaculate. Used to her own... well lived in bedroom, the house just felt wrong.

"Girl." Lyss jumped again at the woman's voice, only then noticing her standing in the hall. "Come with me." Considering her lack of options, Lyss chose to do as the woman asked. Her heart pounded. They passed a single picture frame on the wall, what looked like a family posing for the image, and then a bookcase stocked and sorted to perfection, free of gaps.

The woman stopped at a door, causing Lyss to nearly stumble into her. "Down here," she said as she opened the door.

Lyss couldn't help herself. "Where are we going?"

"You wanted help," was the simple response. "Down here." Lyss glanced down the stairs, glad to at least see the place well lit. Her nerves still buzzed, all of them alert in case the woman tried to push her down the stairs. Or something. She went anyway, taking tentative steps down.

The door clipped shut behind her and she spun. The woman wasn't there, she'd shut the door and left Lyss to her fate. Maybe the lady kept wild pokemon down there, and Lyss was breakfast.

"Ugh!" Lyss shook head hard, hair whipping around her face. "Enough with the dramatics, Lyss," she chastised herself and forced her feet to descend at a more reasonable pace. It didn't stop her from gripping the small stone charm in her pocket though.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she was almost disappointed to find it rather normal looking. No bloodthirsty pokemon or torture devices in sight - and the fact that part of her really expected either of those things said a lot to her state of mind. Movement across the room caught her attention as a man took a step toward her.

"Hello," he greeted, smiling and not looking at all like an axe murderer.

Questions bounced around her head, there was so much she didn't understand. Instead, she managed a meager, "Hi." She grumbled right after that and stood straighter. "I mean, who are you? Why'd you bring me down here?" A pause. "Are you the mayor?"

His smile didn't diminish. "No. I keep telling Grant not to call me that, but he doesn't care to hear me." He waved her toward a chair. "Sit?"

She thought to refuse, but it wouldn't make a difference, so she sat, glad to see him take one that wasn't right beside hers. "But you are the person he meant then. He said you might be able to help me?"

"Well now, that depends on why you were looking for Slate."

She blinked. "How'd you know that?"

"We'll get to that," he said, his voice harder then before. The smile suddenly felt like a mask on him. "Where'd you hear the name?"

Her paranioa didn't feel so far fetched just then, and her hand tightened around the stone in her pocket, her thumb rubbing across it like a tic. "My father in law told me to find him. Back in Cerulean."

"So nobody really knows you're here then?"

That was not the question she wanted to hear, and her hand clenched around the stone. Smoke. She needed Smoke. "The store owner. He sent me here."

"Yes, I think we already went over that." He leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "Who's your father in law? His name?"

"Carson Lake."

His entire facial expression changed at the name. The menace vanished as his eyes widened and his mouth opened. "Then you're Lyssandra..."

She didn't have time to ponder the odd turn. They heard the old lady upstairs shout in alarm moments before the door Lyss came through burst open and a form barreled down. Smoke pounced and planted himself in front of Lyss, his fur stood on end and he growled at the man.

"It's alright, Smoke," Lyss said, laying a hand on his back to calm him. "I think so, anyway. How do you know my name though?" she asked the man. "And who're you?"

"A Flareon," he said instead with a lopsided grin. "How ironic.

She frowned. "What-"

"Nevermind, we'll get to that later. As for myself, I am Slate."

"But the man at the store said he didn't know you."

He waved it off. "Can't be too careful. Team Rocket would love to get their hands on me after all. As they would you." Lyss started - how did he know they were after her? "So, Carson finally sent you to me, did he? What brought that on?"

"Team Rocket at my house."

His smile fell. "They found you?"

"Well they did have my ID," she said, a warm flush in her cheeks. "So it wasn't hard."

"But-" he frowned and stopped. "Wait, why'd they have your ID?"

What was the least incriminating way to answer that? "They kinda captured me after I helped some wild pokemon escape from them."

He stared a second before barking a laugh. "This whole thing's just a coincidence then. Can't stop fate I guess."

Now she was lost. "What're you-" Her breath caught and she cut off. Of course. "You know who I am. Who I really am." With his face, she knew she was right. "Did you know my parents too? Who am I?"

"Now hold on, there's time for that later."

"There's time for it now," she insisted. Smoke responded to her tone with a growl. He always was on her side.

The man sighed, "Alright, yes, I know who you are, but no, I didn't know your parents. Not really. What's important though is that Team Rocket may not know who you are yet, but if they find out everything's going to get much worse for us.

"Now, we have some place for you to stay here, where you'll be safe. After that-"

"Stop dodging me!" she snapped. "Who am I?"

"A Waterflower. You're Lyssandra Waterflower."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

After Slate dropped her identity he showed her to a room she could stay in. She didn't argue, or say much at all, after that as she tried to process the news. What attention she could manage went toward listening to him tell her about Pewter, how she could trust everyone there and there was more to the city then you could see on the surface. Whatever that meant.

Later, as she sat in her room, a delivery boy dropped off a package for her, which she tore into with no small curiosity. The bag she had her eye on in the general store was inside, along with a note from the store owner telling her it was a gift and good luck to her. Part of her gushed over the bag, the other part worried why he was wishing her luck. She knew far too little about what was going, and she was going to fix that.

A Waterflower though.

She'd heard of them of course, the Waterflower sisters, but that was from way back when Team Rocket first took over. They were the gym leaders from Cerulean, and, just like Pewter, theirs was one of the first gyms to be destroyed. Giovanni held some special hatred for those leaders it seemed. That was as much as people knew, or were allowed to know at least. Whispers said those particular leaders were a thorn in Team Rocket's side after foiling some of their plans. Not like that mattered now. Nobody stopped Team Rocket anymore.

What's more, the sisters died in the gym's collapse. Their bodies were found among the wreckage, and they were young when it happened. How could Lyss be a descendant? Unless Team Rocket had been wrong, or lied. That wouldn't be a surprise, so one of the girls, at least one, might've lived - a life of hiding from Giovanni, one she passed on down her family.

Lyss sat up at the thought. Wouldn't it be easier to hide if they'd taken a different name? They were all girls after all, so why wouldn't their kids take the father's name? Why did Lyss only have the name Waterflower? If they'd hidden the name and taken another, she should have one too. Maybe Slate hid it from her. Maybe he didn't know it, or didn't care. But he said he didn't know her parents well, so why would he know their hidden name?

Frustration gnawed at her. There were too many questions, and only one person might have the answers.

"Come on, Smoke. Let's find Slate." She snatched up her bag on the way out the door, more out of habit then necessity. She felt naked without one.

Unfortunately, she only made it to the end of the hall before stopping. Her plan had one problem - she didn't know anything about the place. She scratched at Smoke's ears. "Think you can find him for me?" Smoke shook off her touch and glared up at her. Lyss sighed. "I know, you're not a Houndour. Alright, well there has to be someone around to ask."

As it turned out, there really wasn't. Wandering through the house got her nowhere. Not even the old woman showed up, and it made the house eerie in its empty perfection. Lyss huffed. Would they really all run off and leave her alone in their house? They barely knew her.

At a loss, she returned to the basement where she first met Slate and plopped into a chair. That room was the one part of the house that looked at all lived in. Well, and now the room she was staying in. Lyss wasn't planning to hang around the house much, but she also wasn't going to worry about making the bed all nice and neat. That was kind of what the basement looked like too. The furniture was rumpled from being used and a book sat on the side table, a bookmark peeking from its pages.

Smoke's ears perked and he jumped up from his place by her chair. She watched, curious, as he stalked across the room. Were there Rattata in the walls? She didn't hear anything, but she was used to that. Smoke may not be a hunting Houndour, but he still had much better senses then her. A moment later, he stopped by the bookcase and turned to stare at her.

"What's up, Smoke?" she asked as she got up and went to him. "Something weird with the bookcase?" When he turned to look at her he pawed at the fixture. "If there's a Rattata hole back there you're out of luck, this isn't our house." He growled and shook his head, pawing it again. Curious, Lyss took a long look at the shelves of books. It looked like any other bookcase to her, filled with titles she didn't recognize - not surprising. Books weren't all that wide spread, except the ones Team Rocket wanted people to read. They didn't go around burning them or anything, but there wasn't a living to be made as a writer.

She ran an idle finger along the book spines. It seemed Slate had everything: novels, cookbooks, kids books, even dictionaries. She'd never seen such a varied collection.

One particular spine stopped her meandering. She was sure she hadn't read it, the title didn't mean anything to her, but it was familiar all the same. Tugging it from the row, she glanced at the cover. It, too, was a picture she'd seen before, though she didn't know where. Nothing about the book meant anything to her, it wasn't something she'd read, but something odd about it wouldn't let her go.

A flash of insight made her turn back to the small end table near where Slate sat when she first met him. There, sitting with a bookmark sticking from the pages, was the same book she held. She compared the two, turning them over and glancing inside for differences, but they were identical, not even different versions. Why did he have two of the same book in the same room?

She went back to the bookshelf, scanning it again. No other duplicates jumped out at here, every book was different, and all organized. Heavy cooking books together on the bottom, similar dictionaries and reference books above that, kids books next up, still in reach of the little ones. From there up they all blended together, the shelves packed with all manner of novels for reading, with only the gap she'd pulled the book from missing.

She blinked. The books on either side of the gap hadn't shifted. On impulse, she reached out and tapped them, trying to get them to fall over. They didn't. Nothing moved.

She set the book down on the end table beside its match, freeing up her hands as she peered into the gap. The portion of wood backing protruded toward her, holding the books to either side apart. Was it broken? She reached in to poke at it, surprised when it moved back at her touch, sliding into place with the rest of the backing.

That surprise was nothing a moment later when the whole shelf moved.

Lyss jumped back, her muscles tense as the shelves came to a stop just a couple feet over. It was far enough to reveal a door recessed into the wall though. When nothing else happened, and the door stayed closed, she loosened up. She must've triggered it when she pushed on that wood panel, a button of some sort. She should go back upstairs, ask Slate about it later. Who knew where the door lead.

A glance at Smoke showed her that he was thinking similar to her though. It wasn't everyday you found a secret door. It'd be a waste not to check it out.

Not that it was as simple as that, of course. The door didn't have a handle. Undeterred, Lyss slid her hands over the smooth, cold metal of the door. It wasn't old, or it was well maintained if it was. The surface shone in the light almost like a mirror. To her dismay, she found nothing to open it and instead stepped back to stare at the door in thought.

Smoke blew out a puff of air, what she'd come to recognize as a sigh, and swatted at the base of the door frame with his paw. The door slid aside with a hiss before she could begin to question him. She took a cautious step into the doorway, peeking down the hall behind it before looking back to Smoke. "How did you do that?" She didn't expect an answer to the question as she bent to inspect the frame, and his responding yip didn't give her one anyway. He didn't bother trying to answer questions she could figure out on her own.

And sure enough, positioned in the base of the frame was a small button the same color as the surrounding metal. It was such a simple mechanism that it hardly seemed more secure than a lock. She didn't find it though, so what did she know?

Smoke already left and was halfway down the hall before she trotted to catch up. For a secret area, it wasn't anything like she'd expect. Lights hung along the wall at intervals, keeping the passage well lit, and everything was built just like the house they came from. It may as well have been just another part of the house. Her mood dimmed, just a touch. She'd kind of hoped a dark, creepy cave stretched out behind the hidden door.

A soft sound interrupted her musings, and she perked up as she recognized it - voices. "Careful, Smoke," she cautioned, keeping her voice low. "Someone's nearby."

He stared at her, his ears turned back in clear annoyance.

"Which is what you've been trying to tell me since back in the room," she muttered. "Right." Lyss swore he rolled his eyes at her before turning away. Sometimes she wished he could talk, and other times she was sure she wouldn't want to hear it. He got rather indignant over things.

They crept further down the hall, the voices getting louder as they closed on the door blocking the end. This door was a clear copy of the last, solid metal with no handle, but since she knew what to look for, the button at the bottom was clear as day. Whoever was responsible for the whole thing didn't care enough to vary their security apparently.

She braced herself and leaned her ear against the door. Though she could almost make out the words, they were muffled, which didn't help her any. Should she turn back? Wait for Slate to show up and ask him about it? It was his house, so chances were the tunnel was his too. Whoever was on the other side should be friendly. Probably.

Then the door was moving, sliding back into the wall. Lyss shoved away from it, her head snapping back and forth in a frantic search for somewhere to hide. There wasn't anywhere to go of course, not in a straight hallway, and she just stood frozen as the door opened. Two faces stared back at her, their expressions of surprise almost comical. That she recognized one of them as Slate made the standoff only a little less awkward. She flicked her fingers in a small wave. Slate let out a loud breath.

"And this is the girl I told you about, Lyssandra. Lyssandra, this is... a business partner, Nate." She attempted a smile at the man, who grunted in return. Slate ignored the exchange. "Anyway, how'd you get down here, Lyssandra?"

"It's Lyss," she corrected, her annoyance at the name cracking her stupor, "and I just came through the door."

His brow rose. "You just stumbled through the secret door behind the moving bookcase with the hidden switch?"

"You should probably use a pass code or something."

"I told you your security was weak!" Nate growled at him. "Even this child could figure it out."

"Hey!"

"She's more then just some child, Nate," Slate argued as they both ignored her outburst. "But fine, I'll look into improvements." The man didn't seem appeased. "Now, if you'll let me deal with our guest, we'll continue this later." With a grumble, Nate turned and left without a word, going out a different door then she came through, which struck her as odd. If he was leaving, why go further into the building? Or was there another exit?

The thoughts fell aside as Slate approached her, his ever present smile directed her way. "I'm sorry about that, he's a rather touchy fellow. Please," he gestured into the room, "sit." Keeping an eye on him, she slipped into a chair while Smoke curled up by her feet. She didn't know where, exactly, they were, but it must've been underground. A good place to get rid of nosy people. Slate seated himself across from her. "Now then, Lyssa-"

"Lyss."

He paused, then nodded to her. "Alright, Lyss. So what brought you down to my study?"

That was a good question. "Questions," she said, reminded of the reason by her own thoughts. "I wanted - I want - answers from you."

"I already told you what I know about who you are."

"There's more to it then that. You didn't tell me how you know me or my foster parents, or why Team Rocket would be after me, or what you know about my real parents, or-"

"Alright," he cut into her barrage of questions. "I guess you would have more questions, and I'll tell you what I can, but honestly I don't know much. Would you like to take this back upstairs? I can get us some tea."

She hesitated. "No. Why you have a secret underground tunnel got added to my list about five minutes ago."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," he said with a laugh. "Come with me then, we'll see about answering it all at once."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

He waited at the door for her, the same door the other man, Nate, left through, and her curiosity peaked. There was an eagerness to her step as they went through the door, Smoke ever present at her side, and she had to admit a bit of disappointment at finding herself in the entryway of a basic house.

He must've seen her expression when he opened the front door for her. "I think out here will be more what you were expecting." She glanced at him before stepping out, wondering if he was just hyping it all up to make it more impressive. As her eyes took it all in, her mouth fell open.

Turned out he wasn't.

Buildings spread out before her, an entire city that dwarfed Pewter in scale. Stone outcrops replaced grass lawns and a ceiling of stone hung overhead in place of the sky, but otherwise she could've been staring out over Celadon - minus the skyscrapers. The structures there had multiple floors but also had a clear limit above them. It made the sight no less impressive though, and seeing the sprawling cavern surrounding it all somehow made it more so. Stalactites created a scenery no city above ground could match.

"Yeah, that's the reaction most people have down here," Slate's voice broke through her awe as he stepped out beside her.

"What is all this?"

"All this is New Pewter." Her brow went up as she turned to him and he smirked. "We try to keep things simple around here."

"Simple." She glanced back to the massive underground city. "Right." She could only shake her head at it all as he waved her forward and her tour began. It explained a lot about the Pewter above ground though. The city hadn't grown since its days over a century past. Everyone believed it was because of what Team Rocket did to the small town, but in reality it was just because everything moved underground.

Lyss frowned then, barely hearing Slate as he introduced her to yet another citizen of their hidden city - a school teacher or something she thought he said. "Wait wait wait," she said, cutting off his description of whatever new building they'd just come up to, "why're you doing this?"

He gained a tone of forced patience as he said, "I told you, you wanted answers, and this is the best place to start."

"No, not that. I mean all of you, living down here." Smoke growled as a swarm of Zubat's zipped by overhead and she reached a calming hand down to his fur. Calming for him or her, she wasn't sure. She hadn't seen that many wild pokemon together in... ever. She'd been saying something though, and she shook her head. "You have a city up there already, and plenty of land. Why hide down here?"

His answer didn't come right away, and his silence irritated her. He was hiding something, there was no doubt of that. In fact, the whole city was probably hiding the same thing. They passed more of the city in silence, absent his tour guide theatrics, and while it might've been normal up under the open sky, down there in those caves the silence was overbearing. How far had they come down anyway? It hadn't seemed far at the time, but there was so much space there, and the roof had to be thick to stay up. Tons and tons of stone hovering overhead...

He could say just about anything to her then and she'd take it, just so long as he took her mind off the situation.

As if sensing her thoughts, he spoke up. "How much did Carson tell you about us?"

She tensed at his choice or words - us, not him. "Nothing," she said, suspicious.

"Really?" he asked with blatant surprise. "He never even mentioned me or Rising Fire?" Lyss' blank stare must've answered the question, because Slate sighed and went on. "The man knew how to keep a secret."

"Enough," she growled, beyond frustrated. "You keep dancing around everything, building up whatever you're keeping from me to be some giant, life changing secret, and I've had it. Tell me what's going on!" Her chest heaved with pent up emotion, and though she hadn't quite yelled the last bit, her words still echoed around the cavern.

He held his hands up in a placating manner. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I have something of a flair for the dramatic, or so I'm told." At her deadpan expression, a smile tugged at his lips before he took a deep breath. "Rising Fire is an organization with the singular goal of overthrowing Team Rocket. I'm its leader."

She couldn't help herself as she stared at the man. It was such an outrageous thing to say, an unbelievable concept. To bring down Team Rocket would be - "Are you insane?" she snapped, her sense of reality cutting her imagination off short. "You can't stop Team Rocket, nobody can. You're risking this whole town on this stupidity!"

Slate's mouth twitched again. "Says the girl who so recently stood up to them."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "And look where that got me? I was thrown in jail and barely escaped. I had to leave my home and now I've got Team Rocket after me."

"But you'd do it again, wouldn't you?"

Would she? She turned away and kicked at a rock along the path. The small stone went skipping off over the uneven ground before it rebounded off into the darkness. That was kind of how she felt, just rolling along when one little bump derailed her life. Was she worse off though? She wasn't in love with her life before, but at least she knew what she was doing.

Smoke bumped against her and she leaned down to scratch at his fur. Come to think of it, the encounter with Team Rocket wasn't the first time she'd stuck her neck out or some random pokemon. She'd done much the same thing when she rescued Smoke years back. She didn't regret it, either time.

"I guess I would."

"That's why we're fighting Team Rocket," he said, a certain satisfaction in his voice. "Because people like you believe it's the right thing to do."

She still thought it was foolish. "I've never heard of you though. Surely the things you do would get out."

"Secrecy has been vital." The warmth bled out of his tone as he went on. "Team Rocket doesn't hesitate to crush even the smallest hope of rebellion, and they'd do the same to us. We recruit only with extreme caution, and that's even more true if we actively go against them."

"So you haven't really done anything against them is what you mean."

Slate grimaced. "Not so much as we'd like, no."

"We could though!" the new voice brought Lyss around in surprise. She recognized the man from before though, Nate. "If you weren't so blasted timid!"

"Enough, Nate. I told you we'd talk about this more later."

Nate snorted. "After you've gotten your new pet stuffed safely away?" His eyes were on her, and Lyss' anger jumped when she realized he was referring to her. "You even know why you're here, pet?"

Smoke growled, deep and loud, but Slate stepped in before she could respond. "Nate, stop."

"She's got a Flareon, Slate! An honest to gods Flareon!"

"It doesn't matter. She's-"

"Will you both stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Lyss snapped, her words crashing through their argument. The pair went silent, but while Slate continued to glare at the man, Nate kept his eyes on her. It was unnerving. She stared right back. "What do you want from me, Nate?"

"Lyss," Slate cut in, "now's not the time-"

"No. I want to know."

Nate's dark chuckle carried through the air. "Maybe you're not just a pet, eh? You interested in actually doing something to help then?"

Responses raced through her head, filled with sarcasm and scathing remarks. She didn't like the man, his attitude in particular, but he hadn't given her any reason to distrust him yet. Maybe he'd even give her a straight answer. So she swallowed back everything she wanted to say, instead giving a simple, "Yes."

Nate's grin widened. "Enough to break into a Team Rocket base?"

"Nate," Slate stepped in while she was still registering the question, "we haven't even decided if we're going to go through with that."

"You know the rest'll fold. We've never had a chance like this before!"

"It's a chance, yes - a chance to lose everything!"

Lyss' head hurt just from listening to the two. They bickered like children, but the gist of it was clear: something big was about to go down. Nate wanted her involved, but it didn't seem like Slate did. That didn't make any sense though. "Stop chattering like a pair of Mankey's you two!" That was the second time she'd come between the two. She was already getting tired of it. "Slate," she started, bringing his attention back to her, "you're the one who's been trying to get me to stay here in the first place. Why wouldn't you want me involved?"

"I do want you involved," he assured her, "but safely. There's no need for you to go out there and put yourself at risk. There's plenty you can do just being here."

Her temper jumped a notch. "What am I supposed to do if I can't help against Team Rocket? Sit around town so everyone can stare at the Waterflower girl? I'm not going to be some pretty figurehead for you to flash around!"

Nate chuckled from the sidelines. "Not the tame house Skitty you were expecting, eh Slate?"

Slate flashed the man a warning glare before turning back to her with a less obvious expression. Frustration, she imagined. "I appreciate your drive to help, Lyss, but you have to understand. The Waterflower's have been fighting Team Rocket for generations. Everyone knows of them. Having you on their side-"

"All the more reason I should be doing the same," she cut in. "Fighting Team Rocket. Not just sitting here."

Slate dragged a hand across his forehead, sighing. "I'll talk to the others about it. Do you want me to show you back to the house in the meantime?"

"No," she said, a little sharper then she'd intended. She took a deep breath before continuing in a softer tone. "I can find my way back, but I'd like to look around more."

"Alright," he nodded. "We'll find you later then.

"Come on, Nate." Slate threw the man an annoyed look. "You'll want to be involved in this, I'm sure." The other man smirked but said nothing, joining Slate as they walked off and left Lyss alone.

She took another deep breath - she was in it now, whatever it was. Part of her wondered why she cared or bothered, but she was excited too, to be part of whatever anti-Team Rocket things these people had going. Lyss never liked Team Rocket, though that wasn't saying much, as not many did. Most accepted their rule as a way of life though, and it was weird to be there in a place that opposed it.

Smoke bumped against her and yipped. He was antsy to move, she could tell, and she didn't blame him. The underground city was silent for its size. Did they fear wild pokemon down there in the cave depths? Or was the outside world beneath the ground just not appealing like the open air above, so they all stayed inside? Only one way to find out, and she was curious to meet the people that lived there. They couldn't all be like Slate, but they were all rebels.

She wandered through the unfamiliar streets, the uneven ground making even that a different experience. Smoke stayed out at her side, rather then riding in her bag, and enjoyed it from what she could tell. She wasn't worried that anyone would turn her into Team Rocket for having an illegal pokemon after all, and in fact he wasn't the only one around. The Zubat from before were clearly wild, but those she saw now scurried among, and through, the houses with a familiarity and lack of fear or aggression that she'd never seen before.

As she looked on, a Sandshrew ran up to them. It stopped just out of arms reach and crept up from there, its little nose sniffing the air around them. Lyss couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips as she watched, though Smoke just stared at the little creature. It grew bolder as the seconds passed, scooting right up to Smoke's feet before the Flareon rumbled a low growl. The pokemon bolted at the sound, disappearing among the buildings.

Lyss scratched at Smoke's ears. "It was just trying to be friendly," she said, though she couldn't bring herself to scold him. For his part, Smoke just acted like nothing happened - he'd made his point. Lyss rolled her eyes. "Come on, you anti-social thing, let's find some food."

That perked his ears up, and she laughed as he trotted beside her.

* * *

A/N: I generally try to keep chapters around 3000 words, but I write the story all at once, without breaks. Finding good points to separate it all has left many of the chapters shorter. They'll keep coming though, don't worry!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Venturing deeper into the maze of buildings brought a change in the air. She could hear things, the sort of background noise you expected around people, and she followed the sounds into a livelier area. An area with people and activity. Did the underground city run on a normal schedule without the sun to set their days? It was fairly early in the day but it could've been the middle of the night for all she knew.

Whether it was a lunch or late night crowd, there was a definite gathering around the buildings she came up on then. Businesses lined the street and and the scent that hung in the air was mouth watering.

Lunch time then.

She craved to slip into one of the more enticing shops, before remembering that she had no money on her. The nice shop keeper in upper Pewter (as she now thought of it) gave her a wonderful new bag free of charge, but it didn't fix the fact that she was still broke.

Smoke whined and Lyss could imagine what the smells were doing to him. Sighing, she plopped down on a nearby bench. "Sorry, Smoke, I don't have any money to buy anything. No wallet, remember?" She said that, even though she'd forgotten too. His ears fell back against his head and she quirked a smile. "It's no use glaring at me. We'll just have to go back to the house and see what we can find there."

He didn't seem to approve, as he turned and dashed off into the crowd. "Smoke!" she shouted, swallowing back the curse she wanted to add. He was long gone though, and wouldn't have paid attention anyway. Grumbling, she leaned back again. He'd come back when he wanted to, and not before - she knew him well enough for that. At least he should be safe there, though who knew what sort of attention he'd attract. Even for an Eevee evolution, he was rare.

"You shouldn't yell things like that." The speaker turned out to be an old woman with a dimpled smile. "It worries people, especially down here."

Lyss stopped to make sense of her words. "Oh! Sorry, Smoke's my friends name. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Are you new around here?"

"Yes, Ma'am. We just got here yesterday."

"It's always nice to see new Ashes for the Fire." Lyss blinked - what an odd thing to say. "Where are you from?"

Lyss forced a smile and answered the question, expecting it to not be the last. She wasn't mistaken, as the old lady rambled on, dragging out Lyss' life story in exchange for her own. The girl was disappointed in a way. She'd been looking forward to meeting one of the rebels, seeing how different they were from regular people. The old lady was just like most old people Lyss had met - excessively chatty. His relative silence was one of the things she favored in having a pokemon for a best friend, and it'd made her something of a recluse - or so she was told.

When her stomach rumbled, more like roared, in the middle of the conversation though the woman laughed, and things took a turn for the better when she offered Lyss a meal. The company didn't seem so bad then, and Lyss took to the food (also disappointingly normal) with relish. It was some time before Lyss heard anything the woman said again, but it didn't seem to bother her.

After the meal was done, Lyss sat back, content for the first time in awhile. When she noticed the old woman just smiling at her, Lyss squirmed. "Thanks for the food, I really appreciate it." The woman just smiled wider, like Lyss had made her day, and nodded. Lyss tilted her head. "Why though? Why feed me just so you can talk to me more?"

The lady just shook her head. "Do I need a reason to seek company?" Lyss didn't have a response for that, but the woman didn't wait for one anyway. "You have a spirit to you though, one that we don't see much, even down here. You remind me of an old friend."

Lyss hesitated. "Did they die? Your friend?"

"I suppose that's a fair guess these days, isn't it?" It wasn't really a question, so Lyss just waited as the woman went on. "A long time ago, yes. She never could stay out of trouble. Her daughter couldn't either, for that matter." The lady's face fell then. "That was the real shame. The girl was taken long before her time."

"I'm sorry," Lyss said.

She smiled, if not as bright as before. "As I said, it was long ago. But listen to me go on when I never even introduced myself! I'm Melinda Stone." Melinda held out her hand in greeting, and Lyss took it, giving it a light shake.

"I'm Lyss."

"Just Lyss?"

Lyss wasn't in the habit of giving out her last name. It was something she got into the habit of growing up, ever since she learned that the Lake's weren't her real parents. Now it seemed valid again. How much commotion would it cause for her to spread the name Waterflower around?

She bit her lip and said, "Lyss Lake," then made a face at the sound of the name. "Well, Lyssandra Lake, but everyone calls me Lyss." Before the lady could respond a body sprawled over Lyss' legs, making her shriek. A familiar fox face looked up at her. "Smoke!"

"Well now, who's this?" The question reminded Lyss that she wasn't alone, something she shouldn't have forgotten but also tended to when Smoke was out. He had to hide around most people.

"Oh, sorry. This spoiled boy is Smoke, my best friend." Lyss scratched at his fur and he leaned into it, making her smile.

"You're a trainer then? There aren't many around anymore."

Lyss blanched. "I'm not a trainer, I'd never treat him like that. He's my friend."

Surprise flashed across Melinda's face. "Not all trainers are like Team Rocket," she said, her voice soft.

"All trainers are Team Rocket," Lyss argued. "You're not allowed to be if you're not."

Melinda sighed. "That's true enough. How about you tell me about your friend there? That's an interesting gray streak he's got."

The change of topic was obvious, and Lyss pursed her lips and considered pushing the issue. Instead, she ran her hand over the fur Melinda pointed out. "It's been like that since I met him," she sighed. Smoke rumbled on, unperturbed. He must've found something to eat, he was only this complacent with a full stomach. "A group of Poliwag were attacking him. They scattered when I started throwing rocks at them, but he was so wet and weak by then I wasn't sure it mattered."

"Looks like he's still around though."

Lyss smiled despite herself. "Yeah, he recovered eventually. I knew I'd get in trouble if anyone found him, but I couldn't just leave him there." Warmth radiated from Smoke's small form and Lyss knew he was listening and remembered as well. "I found a cave where he could hide and built a fire pit to keep him warm. I was always disappearing from home after that to check on him and keep the fire burning. It drove my parents nuts."

"You didn't tell them about him?"

"No," Lyss said, shaking her head, "I didn't want them to turn him in to Team Rocket."

Melinda quirked her head at the girl. "Why would they do that?"

"To keep me out of trouble," Lyss responded, rolling her eyes. "All they ever cared about was making sure I never did anything even remotely interesting. Especially my mother-in-law, Karen. I swear, she was raising me to be a perfect little Rocket." Lyss gagged at the mere thought.

"So I take it you ran away then? Is that why you're here?"

Run away from home, that's what Lyss expected she'd have to do to ever go anywhere. "That's the weird part actually. Team Rocket came looking for me, and they helped me get away. I mean, I only talked to Carson, my father-in-law, but he said Karen was out there talking to the Rockets, delaying them." Lyss shook her head. "I don't know why she'd bother."

Melinda rocked in her chair, a slight back and forth as she hummed in thought. "Well, people don't always act how we expect them to, especially parents. I believe she just tried to take care of you, the best way she knew how. She may have seemed overprotective, but maybe it was important to her that you stay away from trouble with Team Rocket."

"Other people don't make that big a deal out of it," Lyss muttered.

"If you don't mind my saying, you don't seem like most people." She reached a hand over to rub at Smoke's warm fur. He rumbled again in response, and she raised her eyes to Lyss'. "Are you?"

Though Melinda's meaning was clear - Lyss had a Flareon for a best friend - the girl's face fell for a different reason. It had nothing to do with Smoke, it never had, not if her foster parents knew who real parents were. Lyss was a Waterflower, and if Team Rocket had paid enough attention to her, they might've found that out.

Of course. It was the most obvious thing in the world. Karen knew Lyss was a Waterflower. She'd raised the girl and done everything to keep that fact hidden, and Lyss had hated her for it.

Why hadn't anyone just told her?

"Are you alright, Dear?"

Lyss snapped back to attention. "Uh, yeah, I'm..." she shook her head. "Sorry, I need to talk to Slate. Do you know where I can find him?"

"I'm afraid not. You can check at the main office though, it's just down the lane," Melinda gestured to the street, "off that way."

"Thanks," Lyss hopped up, knocking Smoke from his perch on her lap. Without wasting time, she hurried down the street, waving back and yelling, "It was nice meeting you!"

Then she was off, and any response from the old lady was lost in the distance. Lyss had to go home. Everything was wrong, everything she thought she knew, and for all the times she dreamed of getting out of Cerulean, she didn't want to go like this. She'd need Slate's help for this though, and he may not want to give it. In the short time she'd known him, he'd made his opinion of her quite clear - she was important, to this city and their cause. For her to leave when she'd just gotten there, and sort of harassed him to let her help, could be difficult.

It didn't matter though, there'd be time for that later. For all she knew, her parents were in trouble with Team Rocket for not giving Lyss up to them. Lyss needed to fix things before anything else.

After managing to find the office (she had to stop for directions again), the clerk there sent her on to the room Slate was supposed to be in. From what the clerk told her, Slate spent most of his time there at the office, or at least, most of the time he spent in any one place. He was, however, busy, so Lyss would have to wait to see him. That's what the clerk told her.

Lyss pushed right in through the doors when she got there. Their own fault for not locking them.

Raised voices carried through the air as she entered, and most of the occupants seemed too occupied arguing with one another to even glance her way. She didn't know how they understood each other with all the noise, she sure as heck couldn't.

Then a loud voice cut through it all, and she understood it clearly. "Who are you," she spotted the speaker, almost taking a step back at the glare he had leveled on her, "and what are you doing barging in here?"

Just like that, the room went silent. Heads swiveled her direction, and she found herself pinned by a multitude of stares. All the bravado she used to shove her way in drained away. Maybe she'd wait for Slate elsewhere...

"Lyss?" Slate separated from the crowd and moved toward her, making her breathe a bit easier. She hated crowds. "I'm sorry for the disturbance, everyone," he said as he stopped between her and the rest of the room. "I'll deal with this and return presently."

They weren't having any of it. "Is that the Waterflower girl?" a voice spoke up, she had no idea from who. More voices joined in.

"Girl indeed! She should be in school, not riding along on important tasks!"

"Really, Slate, what could you be thinking? She's far too young for this!"

"I agree. Team Rocket's recent actions have already shown they're willing to kill children just as readily as adults."

"As if there were any doubt."

"This is foolish, we won't hear it. We should move to more important-"

Lyss stopped listening as the words rushing by snagged in her head. Reaching out a hand, she tugged Slate's arm to get his attention in the rowdy room. He turned to her, eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry, Lyss-"

"What did they mean?" Slate stopped at her words. "When they said Team Rocket would kill children? What did they mean?"

His face soured and he glanced away. The rest of the room had returned to its shouting match though, and didn't seem to notice his absence. "A child was killed just the other day," he said. The words didn't flow from him easily. "Executed, for disrupting Giovanni's gathering, and for disobedience to Team Rocket."

The world froze around her. Her throat went dry. "Where?" she croaked.

"In Cerulean. You must've just missed it," he said, a sad smile slipping across his face. "We have that much luck I gu- What's wrong?"

She wasn't listening. Her legs shook a moment before she collapsed to her knees. The room swam and her stomach roiled. She was going to be sick. She couldn't breathe.

It was her fault.

Hands grasped her shoulders, words in a raised voice carried to her ears. None of it registered. Her mind was flying back to that day, going through the scenes. She couldn't even remember what the girl looked like. She killed the girl, and couldn't even remember her hair color. Or did she have a hood on? Did Lyss know her? Were they friends? Lyss didn't have many, but it'd all happened so fast she wasn't sure.

A wet nose shoved into her cheek, and a blast of heat followed a moment later. She flinched away, but Smoke came into focus in front of her, his nose right in her face. It took a second for her to run a hand over his fur.

"Lyss?" Slate's voice. "You back with us now?"

Her eyes stayed on his shoes. "Yes."

A loud harrumph from the background. "And this is the girl you expect to help us? One paralyzed by the mere mention of Team Rocket's atrocities? No, I say."

A chorus of agreements went around the room as she stayed in her position on the floor. This was good, it was what she went there for. Surely she could go home now, fix things. Find out who died...

She was standing before she realized it. "No." The word cut through the room, echoing in the silence it created. "I can help. You have to let me."

The whole room stared at her. Slate cleared his throat. "Lyss, it may be best for you to stay behind. There's no telling what we'll see in their hideout."

"No," she snapped and glared at him. "I will help you take these bastards down or I'll leave and do it myself."

One of the others in the room spoke up. "Now Miss Waterflower-"

"Stop. My name is not some flag you can wave around. If you want my help, you take it all, or none of it."

The council members shared looks before a man, the same one that often spoke before, said, "Understand our problem, you've been many things since you came in here, practically different people. And now this demand you're making." He made a sour face. "If you insist on this, we need to know why. Why are you so insistent?"

The thought of telling them anything wasn't appealing, annoying old men that they were, but she didn't want to run off on her own either. Taking down Team Rocket would be much easier on their side, and that was the most important thing. "The girl in Cerulean was my fault." The expected comments didn't come, so she barreled on. "They were after me, and I pulled her into the middle of it. I was just trying to get away, I thought they'd know she wasn't me right away. I thought they'd let her go. I didn't expect anyone to get hurt. I just..." Smoke rubbed against her leg as her words tapered off. She welcomed his comfort as she forced herself to breathe. Breaking down again would not get her impression across.

She was sure an eternity passed before a loud sigh carried through the room. "We understand your feelings on the matter," spoke the same voice who'd questioned her, "and we can little deny the value you have to offer. So it is our decision to accept your help, under supervision."

The man's emphasis on his final words meant nothing - they were letting her stay. Just minutes before she wanted only to leave and get back home, but now that would have to wait. She'd always known Team Rocket was trouble, but now... They had to be stopped, and she'd go crazy thinking about it if she didn't help.

"Now if you'll excuse us," that same voice cut into her thoughts again, "we have other matters to discuss."

"Oh, sure," she bumbled back toward the door, "I'll just go - and thank you."

Slate spoke as she was leaving. "Someone will find you later to go over things," and with that, she was on her own again as the doors shut. Like it or not, she was in it now, they'd accepted her. She wandered off down the hall, not sure what to make of the new feeling.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

Wandering the city was interesting, for a little while. After that she was just antsy. The day's revelations spun through her mind regardless of distractions, and not being able to act on any of it left her stir crazy. She'd taken that first step, insisted on being involved, but now it was back to waiting. As if she hadn't done enough of that.

With enough name dropping, she managed to snag a room at a place best described as a hotel, free of cost - which was necessary since nobody gave her any money yet and she didn't want to go back into the house in upper Pewter. Not that she was even sure she could find her way if she did want to.

Smoke was more then happy to claim his spot on the bed as she tossed her bag on the floor and flopped down beside him. She'd never be able to sleep, even with as stressful as the day was. Laying down was nice though, and she stretched to her limit, humming at the feeling that coursed through her bunched muscles.

When the room thundered and shook she swatted Smoke in her haste to get up. Alert now, she stood there, forcing herself to take quiet breaths. The seconds ticked by as the sudden adrenaline seeped through her system. She glanced down to Smoke, who's fur stood on end. "Maybe it was an earthquake?"

The boom came again, rattling the walls around her. It didn't stop with just that this time, and the cacophony of noise had her racing for the door. Smoke dashed past her, and she yelped when he turned and tackled her back toward the bed. "Smoke! What-"

Her words were drowned out as the rumbling grew louder and the building shook. Then the door fell away, and the roof with it, as rocks cascaded into the room with no sign of stopping. Lyss' eyes widened as a scream stuck in her throat.

Smoke bit her.

She yelped and grabbed for him out of reflex, but he was gone. In a flash of fire, he burst through the back window and disappeared. Taking the hint, Lyss bounded over the bed and flung herself through the shattered frame as the building behind her collapsed under the avalanche of rock.

Wooden slats bounced and snapped beneath her as Lyss landed on the roof of the next building. Wincing as she did, Lyss looked back toward her room and her mouth fell open. There was nothing but stone, no trace of the building at all. Her dazed mind made a vague note of the sunlight pouring in from above where there should've been a ceiling of rock, but another thought distracted her.

That was the second bag she'd lost now.

"Hey!" The shout came from someone down on the street. "You alright?"

A glance at the rockslide told her it's momentum was played out, it wasn't going any further. With more caution then she'd used getting up there, Lyss made her way down from the roof. She avoided falling on her backside when she hit the ground, but only just. "I'm alive," she answered, brushing herself off. A tender spot on her leg made her hiss in pain. "What about everyone else?"

Down at his level, she realized he was only a boy, younger then her even. His face fell at her question. "A few people came out the doors there." She followed the direction of his weak gesture to see people milling about in front of the rock pile and her gut twisted. A mere handful of people were all she saw, and the man at the desk inside, the one who'd given her a room, wasn't among them.

What in Arceus' name happened?

When she heard Smoke growl, the question died on her lips before she could ask it. She sought him out, still crouched on the roof, and followed his stare up into the massive hole in the cave ceiling. As her throat went dry, it all became clear. Forms glided down through the hole, some swooping, others floating, and still more climbing. So many of them.

The pokemon were easy to pick out, and they left little doubt to who the people were. Weezings, Golbats, Arboks - trademark pokemon for Team Rocket.

Then the screaming started.

People took note of the invasion force and panic spread. The whole city was part of an anti-Team Rocket movement, but down in their subterranean world, Lyss bet the danger didn't seem real to them. From all she'd heard, Team Rocket never even hinted that they knew the Rising Fire or lower Pewter existed. They created a sense of safety for the rebel group and created the perfect ambush. Now they were there to clean up.

As the grunts hit the ground, the chaos began. People fled from the attacking pokemon, but there was nowhere to go. Poison spread through the streets in clouds, and the citizens dropped where they stood. They never had the slightest chance.

Something was tugging at her arm and she looked down to see the boy still there. Her mind caught up to the fact that he'd been talking to her. "What are you doing? Come on!" She let him pull her along and they took off through the streets. Her gaze kept pulling back behind them, watching as the dark of the caves and the smog from the Weezings obscured everything from sight. She couldn't even hear the screams anymore.

When she managed to get words past her lips they came out flat. "Where are we going?" Only the boy's loud breathing answered her as his short legs pumped on as fast as they could go. She let the buildings go by a little longer, until he stumbled, then she pulled against him. "Hey, stop. They're behind us."

If he could've managed it, she expected he would've ignored her and kept going. As it was, his legs quivered and gave out, dropping him to the floor in a panting heap. He looked up at her. "Why aren't you scared?" his voice shook as he asked.

She didn't have an answer. Much as she hated Team Rocket, she feared what they were capable of, as everyone did. With everything that just happened, she should be terrified, and now they were alone on the outskirts of town, with empty caves ahead of them and almost certain death behind. She didn't really feel like she was there though. It was like she was watching through stained glass.

"I am scared," she said instead, "but we need to find help if we want to get out of here. Was there some sort of disaster plan around here? Somewhere you were supposed to go when you were in trouble?"

He gave a small nod. "The tunnel over there," he pointed, across town of course, "the other way out."

"Alright," she knelt down beside Smoke, giving him a scratch behind the ear. "We're gonna need your help through here." He growled and yipped, practically bouncing where he stood. Lyss rolled her eyes. "Glad to see you're excited about it.

"Well. no time like the present. You rea-" the boy's wide stare stopped her short, and she sighed. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey!" he jumped, blinking at her. "Yes, I have a Flareon with me. We don't have time to admire him, and he doesn't need the ego boost. You ready to go?" At his nod she gestured Smoke on ahead and they started off. She grabbed hold of the boy's shoulder to keep him close by. The last thing she needed was for him to run off and get them both in trouble.

At some point, the cave went silent. She couldn't recall when the sounds stopped, but now there was nothing, none of the city noises she was accustomed to. Quick-stepping through the streets, seeing nothing but empty paths winding among the buildings, Lyss felt a chill sweep through her. Certain sounds were just a given around other people, you didn't even realize you were hearing them after awhile. The silence wasn't natural, and it left her imagining they were trespassing through a graveyard.

A glance at the boy beside her - she still didn't know his name - gave no hint to his state of mind. He'd stopped panicking and was just following along beside here, but there was no way he was okay with everything that just happened. She really hoped they'd find someone he knew once they got to this exit he mentioned. Taking care of an orphaned child was not on her to-do list. Maybe that made her cold-hearted, but she had enough to worry about.

With all the scenery flashing by, she missed the Golbat diving for her until a blast of flame swept by, nearly singing her hair. She jumped back with a squeak of surprise made worse when the bat pokemon veered off and flapped past her. It broke from her line of sight by hooking around a building, but it didn't matter, its message was delivered - Team Rocket knew they were there now.

"Run!" She didn't wait to see if they'd listen, half dragging the boy along as she bolted down a side street. They couldn't stay on the main path, it was too open, too straight. Team Rocket would see them coming from blocks away. The trade off was that now they were stuck between the building walls without much room to maneuver.

As Smoke Flame Charged through an Arbok who attempted to block the alley exit, she felt good about her choice. The poor thing didn't even get a hiss out.

"Alright, Smoke!" Lyss cheered, racing to catch up with his enhanced speed. "Keep it up, just like-" she stumbled to a stop outside the alley, "-that..." Team Rocket grunts blocked off the path in front of her, their pokemon scattered around. Smoke crouched before them, growling and poised to attack, but he wasn't stupid. Not with those odds.

"So, it's not wild then," a foremost Rocket spoke up. "Call the boss."

"Didn't we hear something about a Flareon recently?" another voice chipped in.

"And a troublesome girl with it."

"I say we keep her from the boss. I can think of plenty of other things to do with her." The laughter from that comment was gruff, blatant in its meaning, and set her teeth on edge.

It only lasted until the Rocket who spoke first smacked the other across the head. "You an idiot? The boss would have feed you to his Persian's. Be lucky if he even killed you first." Though the man grumbled, he didn't argue, and the crowd fell in line. Lyss knew who was in charge at least, and he glared at her. "Not your day, girl. Get your pet to stand down."

Smoke's growl deepened, no doubt at being called a pet. The Rocket didn't spare him a glance. Lyss, on the other hand, wasn't so focused. Her gaze jumped all over, taking in the Rockets, their menacing pokemon, even the alleys blocked off behind them all. There had to be a way out of this. She somehow didn't think she'd manage an escape from Rocket if they caught her this time.

Flickers of flame danced over Smoke's fur, residual effects from his Flame Charge still burning. Lyss' escape was hampered by the boy, and she had doubts that he'd be able to keep up if she bolted. It looked more and more like a fight was the only choice, but that wasn't much of an option. If it was that or surrender though

The boy's hand in hers jerked, his grip clamping down in hers and she frowned. Having him freak out was the last thing she needed, and she spared a moment to calm him - and stopped. He wasn't looking at her or even the Rockets, just staring off into space. As she watched, his face went slack, his grip loosened, and he collapsed.

She jumped to catch him. "Hey, what's-" movement flashed in the corner of her vision and she looked up just in time to see a purple tail disappear into the ground. Dread settled over her like a shroud as she fumbled with the boy, grabbing at his arms and twisting to find hint of what she feared.

Then she saw it, two spots on his upper leg - a bite mark.

Words carried to her, but failed to filter through her mind. She looked at the Rocket. "What?"

"I said you were taking too long," he smirked. "I made your choice easier and showed you what'll happen if I don't like your answer. Two Pidgey's, one stone."

She blinked. He was one-hundred percent unaffected by what he'd just done. People weren't designed to handle pokemon attacks. Between the potency of Arbok's poison and the boy's young age, she didn't need to feel for a pulse to know she wouldn't find one. She tried anyway. Her hand rested there and she couldn't pull it away. With how he fell, the boy's eyes now stared up into the darkness, wide open yet unseeing.

"You're wasting your time, and mine for that matter. He's dead."

With a gentle touch, Lyss pulled her fingertips across the boy's face, closing his eyes. She grit her teeth as that familiar burning sensation spread behind her eyes.

In a way, the Rocket was right - he had made her choice easier.

"Smoke, ground fire."

If the odds intimidated Smoke he didn't show it as he let loose a Fire Spin. Those too near it shied away from the tower of flame that surrounded the small pokemon and readied their own pokemon to turn back the attack. The fire stayed where it was though, and as moments passed the Rockets looked to each other in confusion.

Their leader laughed, loud and clear, and kept on until scattered chuckles joined in. "That's it? You can't even train it to do a simple attack right?" he sneered at her, and she glared back at him with as much hate as she could muster. "Seriously, you didn't even command it right, and as soon as that pathetic Fire Spin ends so do you."

As she continued to glare at him, he spat at the ground. "Ground fire," he shook his head, "that some kind of stupid code or something?" His entire expression changed and now Lyss smirked as his own words sank in. He cursed and spun to his crew with a shout. "Spread out!"

It was too little too late. Confusion at the command changed to alarm as Smoke burst from the ground beneath their feet. His Flame Charge tore through whoever he targeted, pokemon and Rocket alike, and then he was back underground. A moment later he broke through somewhere else and repeated the process. In the chaos, the Rocket's couldn't figure out where to aim, and without commands the trained pokemon were useless. Not that they didn't try, throwing out commands for their pokemon to attack next time they saw Smoke, but the Flareon never stayed above ground long enough to be targeted. Not with the build up of Flame Charge's burning through his system.

As many of the Rockets got caught up in Smoke's attacks as their pokemon did, and the screams cut through the air as they burned in the residual flames. Scum that they were they were still people, and Lyss tensed against their cries. She'd never killed anyone before, and all she could do was sit and wait. They couldn't outrun the Rockets, they'd already tried. This was the only chance they had.

"You little bitch!" the shout broke her from her inner thoughts. The lead Rocket stomped toward her, pulling free his gun as he came on. "Call it off!" He leveled the gun at her. "Call it off or I'll kill you right here!"

He'd already told her she was going to die, so the threat didn't hold much weight. "Alright," she said instead, "I'll call him." Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the gun being waved in her face, Lyss screamed her friend's name as loud as she could. The Rocket jumped, startled, and his hand twitched. Her breath caught.

"I told you to stop him!" He snapped. "Not-"

Then he was gone. No, just his head was gone, and as the body wobbled, Lyss turned away. She covered her mouth and forced down a gag. A thump rang in her ears as the Rocket hit the ground and she squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't shut her ears to the silence though.

Something bumped at her side and there sat Smoke. Faint traces of blood dotted his fur, but not enough to hint at what just happened. Fire was funny that way.

Forcing a smile, she scratched at his ear. "Sorry," was all she said. He responded as he always did - by staying at her side. She stayed there on the ground a few moments more before looking out over the battlefield she'd created, avoiding the sight right in front of her. No people or pokemon were anywhere in sight. Well, none that moved. They must've retreated after losing their leader, or so many of their lives.

She took a deep breath, grimacing at the scents mixing in the air. "Let's get out of here."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

The rest of her trek was uneventful, for which she was grateful. Silent, too. It wasn't clear whether the group of Rockets she ran into was the full force or if the others had completed whatever they came to do, but the cave that echoed with sound not long before now rang with the silence of a grave. In some ways it was more disturbing.

They encountered no one else, and though she'd lost her young guide, it wasn't too hard to find the tunnel once they made it to the cave wall. There was only so much you could do to hide a giant hole in the wall. They'd relied on the lack of light to keep it a secret, and whatever the other end looked like.

Not that she had any idea where it went.

She slumped against the wall and slid down to the floor. "What're we doing, Smoke?" she sighed as he dropped down beside her. "We can't go home, and now that Slate guy could be dead for all we know. Everyone here could be." Her head fell forward to rest against her knees, spilling her hair around the sides. In the dim light, blocked off behind the dark veil of her hair, she was almost comfortable. Safe. Not sitting alone somewhere underground.

Paws hit the side of her knees and she tumbled onto her side. She squeaked in surprise as she tried and failed to catch herself. Twisting around, she glared at Smoke through the mess of hair across her face. She fumbled and scraped at the strands so he could better see her annoyance.

He blew hot air at her, making her squint, before walking over to sit facing down the tunnel. He waited a couple seconds before turning back to her with a yip.

Lyss blew out a breath of her own. "Stop worrying, keep moving - I know. You don't have to be such a brat about it." Smoke's tail swished as she approached, a movement universal among pokemon, and she swore he did something to make himself cuter. She couldn't even hold her glare until she got to him. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she rubbed his head, causing him to lean into her. "Alright, alright, stop it with the Eevee eyes." Kneeling, she swept him into hug and laid her head on his, taking comfort in his warmth. "You're impossible."

After another squeeze, she let go and stood. "Alright, let's see what's through door number two here."

Turned out to be a long empty tunnel. Go figure.

The occasional Zubat swept past, only visible for a second before it flapped off into the darkness, but beyond that they saw nothing. She wasn't up on her underground knowledge though, so maybe it was normal. Still, she expected to see Geodude's cluttered among the regular rocks, or even get lucky enough to spot an Onix. It was kind of disappointing, but if they knew about the commotion in the lower Pewter cavern, they probably went into hiding.

She pushed that train of thought behind her and refocused on her footing over the uneven ground. Smoke walked just ahead of her, lighting the way as best he could. What would've happened if he'd been a different type of pokemon? A Vaporeon for instance? The thought made her giggle for some reason, and she waved off his look as he glanced back at her. He probably thought she was mental, but at least he stayed by her.

She paused. That was where she always compared him to her parents, who she'd never known, who she'd always thought abandoned her and didn't want her. Now she knew they were Waterflowers though. Did that make a difference? Well, they'd been killed, so they at least got a pass for not coming back for her.

Of course, it didn't matter anymore for the same reason - she'd never meet them now. You couldn't ask the dead if they'd ever wanted you. So she shouldn't care. Didn't care.

Except she did.

Her shins bumped something soft and she windmilled her arms as she struggled not to fall. It was Smoke who kept her upright as he shoved her into the wall. It was also Smoke who tripped her in the first place, but that thought pushed aside as she realized she could see him. Not just his glow, but from a light that extended in from somewhere else. She'd just been too preoccupied to notice it.

Caves still enveloped them, and this new light was not the light of day. Its glow was familiar though - torches or lanterns perhaps. Either way, it meant they weren't alone anymore.

She inched forward down the rugged tunnel, striving for as much stealth as she could muster. They didn't know for sure who'd be waiting for them after all. Meanwhile, Smoke went on ahead, his paws not even making a whisper of sound, and she envied his soft pads. Shoes were never stealthy, it's like they were made to ruin surprises.

Smoke was getting pretty far out in front though. "Smoke!" she hissed, trying to be quiet and make herself heard at the same time. "Come back!"

He ignored her and disappeared around the bend.

Groaning, she debated. Did he go ahead because he didn't feel it was dangerous, or because he wanted to take care of the danger before she got there? It could be either way with him. She sped her pace to catch up to him. Whichever it was didn't change that she needed to be there with him. It just would've been nice to know if she was in danger of dying again in the next few minutes.

She didn't wonder for long. Smoke was sitting right around the bend, a small group of people in the next room staring at him in wary silence. He cast a lazy glance her way, wondering what took her so long no doubt.

Now it was her turn to ignore him, as she turned her attention to the others there instead. They all wore regular clothing and didn't give off the menacing air of Team Rocket members. Not to mention they hadn't called pokemon of their own when a Flareon showed up in front of them.

Lyss took a step closer. "Are you all from Pewter?" None of them seemed willing to take their eyes off Smoke for long, so she moved over in front of him. You couldn't really blame them for being cautious, but really, when had Team Rocket ever used a Flareon?

She cleared her throat and tried again. "Don't worry about him." It still took them some time to pay more attention to her, and she suppressed a groan of annoyance. "Are you all from Pewter?"

"Yes," a woman off to the side spoke up. Finally. Little arms clung to her legs as she held the child behind her. "Who're you?"

"I'm Lyss, I was...," she paused, "visiting." Blank stares surrounded her. "Is there anyone else around? Are you the only ones who made it here?"

"Slate's through there." The woman gestured to the opposite path and relief surged through Lyss. "The Rockets took him."

And quick as that, her relief vanished.

The desire to just fall over and stay there pricked at Lyss' mind. She was fifteen for Arcues' sake! There had to be someone else to save these people, to save her. There wasn't though. Slate was the only person she knew, the only person who might help get her life back on track. And now Team Rocket had him. With his position in this rebel group, it meant he was as good as dead.

Once again, she forced herself to breath in and let it out, long and slow.

"Alright, stay here then, I'll go get Slate." Smoke punctuated her statement with a yip as he stood by her, ready to go. He always was though, and she felt better having his indomitable spirit there.

"But you're just a girl." The man who spoke up had fear written all over his face. He looked a heartbeat from full blown panic. "What can you possibly do? They trapped us here! They just haven't gotten around to killing us yet!"

As the murmurs started up among the rest of the group, Lyss glared at the man. His words weren't necessary, he just scared the rest of them. "Yeah, I'm just a girl. You're a grown man, so stop whining." Lyss shifted her attention to the woman from before. "I don't think there are any more Rockets back in Pewter. You can take your chances back there or you can stay here and guard to keep them from coming back."

She went to leave then, crossing the small area to the next tunnel. Yet she stopped there. Her firsts clenched and she spun back. "You're rebels! You were already fighting Team Rocket before this, what does it matter that they attacked first?" Her pulse thrummed as she looked among them, agitated for some reason she couldn't point out. "Stop acting like sheep because you lost a fight."

Then she left without waiting for a response. She wasn't being fair to them, they'd all lost something, probably someone, and had their world turned upside down. She didn't care. They were supposed to be freedom fighters or something. They were supposed to protect other people, normal people - people like her.

She ground her teeth and pushed on.

It was hard to tell while surrounded by rock, but the tunnel sloped up as she walked, and she longed to be back on the surface. Team Rocket wasn't going to hide underground anyway. They ruled the world for the most part, so why hide? Why take Slate anywhere though? Why not just kill him down with the rest?

As soon as the thought came to her she banished it. It was one question she was sure she wouldn't like the answer to.

Urgency pressed in on her and she hurried on through the tunnels.

#

Escaping the tunnels took longer than she'd hoped, but she made it to the surface. Streams of warm light filtered among the trees and washed over her, sending a shiver of goosebumps over her skin. The hills behind her weren't much to look at, and considering the labyrinth of caverns beneath them it was hard to comprehend how far up she'd come. The burn in her calves attested to it though.

She ducked back inside the cave before taking in much of the sight. Large vehicles with the TR logo emblazoned on them sat in open view while Rocket members milled about the area. The groups stood apart from one another, and most looked uninterested in anything going on around them. Rockets laughed, played games, or just stood talking.

Reinforcements perhaps? There was no way to know, but they were trouble for sure. The sheer number of them put the group she'd run into down in Pewter to shame. This was a veritable army, one with a purpose.

So why were they still there? They'd already torn the city apart, probably killed most of the residents, and taken the leader. What was keeping them there?

A different group caught her eye, a pair of Rockets away from the rest. They weren't seated around a game of cards and they definitely weren't laughing. Devices in their hands occupied their attention as they flicked at them with pens, and while their lips moved they were more subtle then their boisterous counterparts. They had to be some form of leaders. Maybe they knew something of what was going on.

Now how would she get them to tell her any of it?

Even if the Rockets weren't going anywhere, she risked being caught every moment she was there, not to mention what danger Slate might be in. She scanned the area for ideas. Team Rocket members were all ages, there was no minimum age required to join and you stayed so long as you were useful. Not that she'd ever heard of a retired Rocket. Could she sneak in among them? It wasn't an original plan, but there must be too many of them there for them to know each other. She'd be able to slip among them, find out what she needed, and get out.

She almost wished she'd swiped a uniform from a Rocket earlier, but the thought made her queasy. They wouldn't have been in good condition anyway.

Halfway through her plan to jump a fringe member she remembered a certain fire pokemon as he tugged at her pants leg. He could no doubt tell she had something in mind, and there was no way it could safely involve him going out among the Rockets. She blew out a breath and crouched down with him behind the rock wall, thinking.

"If only I still had my bag," she muttered, mostly to herself. She spared a quick glance out the tunnel. "Not that any of them have bags, so it probably wouldn't help."

Another sigh as she rubbed his head. "What do we do now?" He leaned into her hand a moment before slipping around her to peer through the cave opening. She let him go. After all, he was always the level headed one between them. Always getting her out of jams and keeping her from doing anything too stupid.

When he winked and dashed from the cave, she took it all back. Shrieking in surprise - she had to slap a hand over her mouth – Lyss jumped up after him, then squatted back down as heads turned her direction. Her heart was trying to leap from her chest as she sat there pressed against the jagged rock wall, just waiting for the alarm to go up. At any moment the Rocket's would swarm into the cave and drag her out. Any second now.

Any second...

Ten more seconds passed, time filled with her pounding heart, before she let herself consider that no one was coming. No sounds blared through the air to rouse the camp, and she allowed a careful peek around the stone tunnel. Everything was just as it was before. Rocket's went about their games, not the slightest bit concerned.

Lyss slumped back. She was going to strangle Smoke for doing that to her. Where'd he run off to anyway? None of the Rocket's spotted him or there would've been some activity, but she didn't see him out there anywhere either. He must have some plan in mind to take off like that, and she prayed it didn't have to do with him letting them chase him to get them away from the camp.

When an explosion shook the cave, she had a brief moment of panic that she'd been spotted and they were trying to bury her. The shouts that filled the air didn't match an attack though, and none of the cave came down around her. It was in the camp.

Lyss peered out of the tunnel and her eyes went wide. Fire engulfed one of the vehicles bordering the camp, and the result was the biggest bonfire she'd ever seen. Sparks jumped to nearby tents, catching there and growing as they ate away at the cloth. The camp was alive with activity as Rockets scrambled to find ways to contain the blaze. Water types weren't Team Rocket's specialty though, and she only spotted one out among them. The rest of the members were pulling bits of the camp away, trying to keep the fire from spreading, while still others raced away from the camp with whatever containers they'd been able to get their hands on.

It was utter chaos, and Lyss giggled to see the terrifying Rockets reduced to impromptu, and ineffective, bucket carriers. The few she'd had her eye on earlier were shouting orders and shoving the grunts off to their tasks. Some of them took off across the open ground, to some body of water or maybe a well, but the majority stayed in camp to control the blaze or go about other business. They had more bodies then they needed, so it didn't take long for those in charge to regain control of things.

When a leader pointed to the cave and sent a grunt running her direction, Lyss' amusement faded and she ducked back inside. She searched for somewhere to hide, anywhere she could get out of sight and let the Rocket go past. They'd probably just been sent to check on the townspeople and wouldn't be careful in watching for intruders, like Lyss. Which wasn't helpful if she was standing right in front of the Rocket when they came into the tunnel. She needed to move.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

Lyss backtracked down the tunnel at a run, forgoing any semblance of stealth. With everything going on outside, nobody there would hear her, so she had to put space between her and the one behind her. It didn't take long to run into a problem though - she couldn't see. Without Smoke and with the entrance fading behind her, the light was fast becoming non-existent.

The uneven ground rolled beneath her feet as she ran, and she stumbled more then once, even catching herself on the rock wall. A hiss of pain escaped as her hand slid over a surface somehow both smooth and sharp. Her hand burned like fire as she cradled it, though she couldn't see to check for a wound.

She forced herself to move slower after that, though she was sure the Rocket's light would fall over her at any moment. Her only saving grace was that the path had no branches so she couldn't get lost. It also assured she'd get caught if she stopped of course, but she couldn't run forever. Smoke made a distraction for her, and he was still out there somewhere. She had to get back.

A semblance of a plan began to form, though she didn't like it. Before long she'd stumble back into the room with the townspeople. If any of them stayed, it shouldn't be hard to surprise and overpower a single Rocket. Except for the part she didn't like, which was trusting a room full of scared, submissive strangers. It was all she had though.

It was also all she had time to think of as the glow of lights bloomed down the path in front of her. The small illumination at least gave her an image of where she was going, and the relief at being out of the pitch blackness buoyed her, even as she careened into the room and the grip of her plan.

Fearful gazes hit her from around the room, but changed to surprise and confusion as they recognized her. No doubt they expected a Rocket.

"No time-" her words came in between gasps for breath "-to explain. I need your help." It was then, as she waited for some kind of response, that she noticed there were fewer people there then she remembered. Some had taken her advice and gone back to the city apparently. The question was, did the braver ones leave or stay?

She heard something from the tunnel, a small echo of noise that made her jump to the side and scour the room for anything she could lay her hands on. It wasn't a place people stayed though, just a sort of large midpoint in the tunnel. Desperate, she wrenched off her shoe, glad they had thick soles, and wedged herself as out of sight near the tunnel as she could manage. Then her eyes sought out the others there, snagging on the same woman who spoke up the first time Lyss was there. "I just need you to distract them. That's all."

There wasn't time to say anything else or get a response. The footsteps grew louder and a Team Rocket member hurried through. Lyss tried to flatten further against the wall as the Rocket, a girl, looked around the room. Her face turned sour and her voice came out the same. "Where're the rest of you?" Just as with Lyss, the girl's words were met with silence. The Rocket frowned deeper, if possible, and her head started to turn, searching out of reflex even if there wasn't anywhere more people could hide - except Lyss was hiding, and her heart jumped into her throat.

Then a scream cut through the air, a high pitched shriek that all little girls were experts at. The Rocket flinched and took a step toward the girl. "What's wrong with her?" The mother shook her head, curly hair whipping as she struggled to calm the girl. Rocket's had little patience though, and this one tugged a weapon from her belt. "Shut her up!"

Thunk.

The shoe shook in Lyss' hands as she brought it across the Rocket's head with as much force as she could muster. The Rocket pitched forward onto the ground, her weapon flying free from her grip and spinning out across the floor. Shoe in hand, Lyss stood tense, her heart racing as she kept her eyes glued to the prone form. Would she get back up? It was only a shoe after all.

It took Lyss a moment to realize the little girl's scream had stopped. That the girl laid out on the floor wasn't moving registered at about the same time, and Lyss let out a breath. Nobody else in the room moved either, but the little girl's wide eyes stood out the most. With slow steps, Lyss went and squatted down in front of her.

"Thanks," Lyss told the kid, "you probably just saved my life." She put on a smile for good measure, but it did little to change the expression on the girl's face. Lyss turned away, she didn't have time to worry about the kid's state of mind. There was an unconscious Rocket laying in the room with a superior expecting them to report back. Which meant Lyss had to take her place or the leader would send someone else down after the townspeople.

Lyss sighed. There was always another complication. She had a uniform now though, once she stripped it from its owner, so she could slip in among the Rockets and get back to their base. Find Smoke somewhere on the way as well and figure out how to smuggle him into the Rocket base. Once inside she'd have to find Slate, then get back out again with him in tow. And none of that even considered what she was going to do after this was all over. One slip and she could end up in Team Rocket's sights, and once they discovered her name, that'd be the end of it.

A squeak brought her out of her wandering thoughts, and she paused in the act of removing the Rocket's shirt to glance over her shoulder. The little girl's eyes were covered, her mother's hand hovering over them. It hadn't come soon enough to block the sight of Lyss stripping the other girl though. Maybe that spot wasn't the best place for what she had to do.

#

Dragging the Rocket out into the tunnel was exhausting, and struggling to get the uniform off her wasn't much easier. Lyss got it done though. Changing into the uniform gave her a breather, but left her with a bad feeling. The girl still hadn't moved, and Lyss spotted a clump of red among the Rocket's brunette hair.

She tugged at her own, darker locks as she snatched up the light and made her way back up the tunnel, not tripping over the ground this time. Would they recognize her when she rejoined the Rockets topside? Or worse, not recognize her as one of them? There were tons of Team Rocket members around, but the fear latched in her thoughts nonetheless.

As she emerged into the open air, the scene had changed from when she left. The fires were gone, though the wreckage smoldered, and fewer Rockets milled about the area. Tents she'd seen before were missing, as were the tables covered in cards and dice.

"You there!" Lyss jumped in her baggy uniform at the shout. The leader from before glared daggers her way. "What took you so long? Get over here and report!"

She marched over, forcing rigid steps with more confidence then she felt. When she tried to answer though, her brain froze. What was the right answer? What had they even sent the other girl to do?

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Did they kill them all?" She threw up her hands. "Arceus! They knew the orders!" After more grumbling and head shaking she turned back to Lyss. "Are they on the way up at least? What's taking them?"

"Pokemon," Lyss blurted. "They found some down there and are gathering them up."

The Rocket rolled her shoulders. "That might get them out of some trouble. Depends on what they found." Her attention returned to her tablet as she poked at it with a touch pen. "Fine, first attack team accounted for. Grab a transport back to headquarters." She gave the order without looking up, and Lyss almost missed it, standing there a moment longer before taking the dismissal. A bit of luck, just what she needed. Except it wasn't time to go to the Rocket base yet, Smoke hadn't returned.

Glancing back at the Rocket leader, Lyss dismissed any thoughts of asking her. Too much risk of blowing her cover. Instead she kept an eye out as she crossed through the camp, what was left of it. With most of what could be packed away already gone, the area was now a makeshift parking lot for the Team Rocket vehicles. It was an assortment though. Jets sat alongside resilient land tanks, with a few of the more maneuverable hover cycles scattered around. Rocket members lined up and filed in to the different transports as she went past, heading back to their headquarters as each filled up.

She saw no signs of Smoke, or any activity beyond the leaving vehicles. If they caught him or were still chasing him, there'd be a commotion over it, wouldn't there? Unless it was over and he'd been shipped away. That was not a thought she wanted to dwell on. Maybe they gave up on it?

A troop of Rockets letting a lone Flareon get way. Yeah right.

If she kept wandering around she was bound to get questioned, so she filed into one of the lines. A subdued atmosphere hung around the Rockets, but you could still pick out whispers in the air if you listened. It reminded her of being in school when the teacher wasn't looking.

Mustering her nerve, Lyss shifted closer to the next in line. "Hey," the guy half turned his head at her voice, "what happened with the fire earlier?"

"We put it out. Are you slow?" She frowned at his words, and more at the appraising look he gave her next. "Don't think I've seen you around before. Wanna meet up after we get back?"

Lyss forced down her scathing response. "I wanted to know what started the fire, genius."

"Some pokemon, I think," he shrugged. "They already took it away though. Didn't tell us what it was." He went on, saying something about fire types, but it tapered off in her ears. They had Smoke. Giovanni was going to have Smoke. Her teeth clenched, the rising pain in her jaw a distant feeling.

A jab to her back brought her head up - the line had moved forward ahead of her and the Rocket behind wanted her to move with it. She hurried forward, but didn't apologize. Her sight was locked on the transport they were loading into, and she willed the line to move faster. If Smoke was there, then that's where she was going. Team Rocket shoved Lyss from her home and took a second chance away from her. They would not take Smoke.

#

Travel to Team Rocket's headquarters took too long. The ride was smooth and silent, no outside noise filtered inside the transport. Windows lined the walls, and Lyss stared through them with detached interest. Other thoughts occupied her mind. Plans - or lack there of. She didn't have a clue what she was going to do.

The transport approached the base, bringing an end to her preparation. It was a massive tower, rising higher then she could see craning her neck against the little window. Somewhere in there Smoke waited for her. What would they do to him, or had already done?

"You must be new."

Lyss glanced at the speaker, another girl about her own age. Then again, that wasn't saying much. The transport was full of Rockets close to her in age. "Why?"

"Rubber necking at HQ?" the girl shook her head. "People get excited when they go out on missions, not when they come back." People wanted to go out and slaughter whole cities? A frown deepened on her face and the other girl quirked an eyebrow. "Well, whatever. I'm Elly. You?"

"L-" she bit down on the name, covering it with a cough. "Sandra."

Elly smirked. "I knew you were new. Don't worry about it, lots of us change our names when we join up. Was this your first mission? They pulled like everybody for it, so wouldn't surprise me."

Try as she might to brush her off, Lyss failed to get the girl to leave her alone, and ignoring Elly just gave her more time to talk.

"It's kinda weird though," Elly was still talking, "they didn't tell us who we were punishing this time."

Lyss' head whipped up. "You didn't-" Again she ground her mouth shut before she got the question out. Finishing the thought was sure to be unlike a Rocket.

Elly shrugged. "Doesn't really matter. If Team Rocket says they're bad, then they're bad. Must've done something to piss off the boss."

Lyss was going to be sick.

They rolled to a stop at the destination and the back door lifted open. Rockets filed out of the transport to join the groups of others coming from similar vehicles. Lyss tried not to be awkward as she followed along with the others, blending in to the mass of people headed for the headquarters. Now chatter filled the air, the buzz of voices mixing and becoming indistinguishable.

She didn't see anyone directing as people split off in different directions. They must be returning to their stations, or whatever business they had outside the mission. Which left her continuing down the halls, uncertain and more worried by the second. She had to go somewhere, but if she didn't belong there she'd stand out. Getting questioned by anyone could end her intrusion fast.

"Would it kill you to ask for help?" The voice slid up beside her, making Lyss jump as Elly reappeared, that same grin on her face.

"You're amazingly persistent."

"Part of my charm. I'm a people person." Lyss gave the girl a sour look, but Elly laughed it off. "You're about as cuddly as a Mankey though! Relax, girl, seriously."

Lyss blew out a breath in frustration. Still, though annoying, Elly hadn't asked any problematic questions, and was willing enough to talk to her. Potential help wasn't something Lyss could turn away from. "I'm just preoccupied," Lyss responded. "I was with others trying to catch that pokemon that attacked the camp, but another team got it first. We didn't even get to see what it was."

"Oooh, stole your thunder, huh?" Elly winced in response. "That happens, but I get it. I hear it was a real handful. The pokemon, that is." She leaned toward Lyss and lowered her voice, a first for the boisterous girl. "Wanna go see it?"

Lyss didn't want to think about how close she came to blowing her cover at that moment. Her body vibrated with the effort. "We can?" the question rang with interest, but she managed to not squeak.

"Hey, that got your attention. You must be dying to get a pokemon to use. And we're not really allowed, of that's what you're asking."

A quirk pulled at Lyss' lips. Maybe the girl wasn't so bad after all. "But we can?" she asked again.

"Ha!" Elly barked out a laugh. "I like you, Sandra! Gotta take some risks in life, right? Sure, we can go see the thing. Just act like you own the place and nobody'll look twice at you."

Considering she wasn't even a Rocket, Lyss did not own the place, but she tried to look more confident then she felt. She kept her eyes up and straight ahead as she moved alongside Elly. The other girl was still talking, her hands making wild gestures to accompany her words, but Lyss' mind was on Smoke. She was getting close, but how would she even begin to rescue him once she got there?

She followed Elly around the corner and walked into a dead end. Lyss' nerves hummed as she jerked to stop and watched the girl turn back to her, a frown on her face. Did she know?

"Okay, Sandra, I gotta be honest - you're terrible at this." Lyss debated if she'd be better off running or trying to attack the other girl. "You look like you're going to an execution! Loosen up, girl!"

The breath she was holding came out in a rush of relief. "Sorry. Haven't done this much before."

"Could've fooled me, you were all over this idea."

"I just have a thing for fire types," Lyss lied. "You don't see them much."

"Well that's true." Elly cocked her head. "How do you know it's a fire type?"

"Did you see the blaze it put up?"

"Could've been the engine exploding."

Lyss forced a smile. "Wishful thinking then?"

"We'll find out I guess." She stepped back into the hall, gesturing to Lyss. "Come on, and just keep talking to me."

Sighing, Lyss followed Elly out, and on they went. Elly accosted Lyss with questions after that. Simple things: what does she like to do, what's her favorite food, what pokemon does she like (Lyss played it safe and answered Crobat). Lyss even laughed when the other girl made a bad joke. It was like having a friend, a human one she could talk with. Back home she'd always been the weird orphan, the one who didn't follow the rules. The outcast.

Not that she'd tried to befriend the kids there. They did whatever Team Rocket told them to, and she wanted nothing to do with them.

Lyss' smile fell. Elly was in Team Rocket, how was that better then the other kids just obeying them?

"What's up?" Elly was staring at her and Lyss realized she must've zoned out.

"Nothing," she said, forcing her smile back up. "Just thinking."

"Thought I told you to stop that," Elly smirked and Lyss rolled her eyes as her smile became a little less forced. "Anyway, we're here! Just gotta get through the checkpoint."

Lyss' insides did somersaults. Smoke was just ahead - wait, "Checkpoint?"

"Yeah, for passing through different parts of HQ." Elly gave Lyss a weird look. "You've really never been here before? How new can you be?"

Lyss let out a weak chuckle. "You'd be surprised."

"Look, don't worry. They just take our numbers and wave us through. There's no rules against it." Elly kept going toward the checkpoint, short hair bouncing as she shook her head. "I'm beginning to wonder how you made it into Team Rocket when you're this timid. What happened to the rule breaker I came in with?"

The other girl knew nothing about Lyss, nothing real. Their entire meeting was due to a lie - yet she was still right in a way. Smoke was waiting, Slate too, and she needed more courage then this, more nerve, if she wanted any chance of getting them out.

"What if I don't remember my number?" Lyss asked, trying to repeat the tactic.

"They'll look you up, and be pretty annoyed about it." The girl crossed her arms "You really forgot your own number?"

"It's been a hectic first day, okay?" Squaring her shoulders, Lyss moved forward with Elly. "How do they look me up? My picture?" It could be simpler, right? Maybe there was something in her uniform to identify her.

The look Elly gave her told her that wasn't it. "No," Elly's response was slow, "they scan the chip in your hand."

Crap.

A sudden movement jerked Lyss to the side as Elly veered into her. She was squashed against a door before Elly swung it open and pushed her through. The door hissed closed as Lyss stumbled in, grabbing at a nearby desk to keep from falling.

She spun on Elly. "What was that for?" Her words trailed off as she caught Elly's expression. Lyss stepped back, putting more distance between them.

Elly stomped forward, eating up that distance. "You don't have a chip, do you?" Lyss tried to answer, but Elly raised her voice. "I saw your face! You didn't even know about them!" The girl shoved Lyss again, smacking her into the back wall. "And if you don't have a chip, you're not a Rocket. So who are you?"

There was no good answer available to get Lyss out of this mess, and her heart pounded as she struggled to think. Her luck, it seemed, was running out.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

The girls stared at each other. Caught up in the moment, Lyss had let herself forget who Elly was - what Elly was. Now she was getting a frightening reminder. "Elly-"

"Don't," the girl cut her off. "The name's Elara. Now, who are you really?"

What could she possibly say? Lyss' mind spun. She was so close, what would happen to Smoke if she failed now? "My name's Lake."

"That's not much of an answer."

"I'm just a girl who wants her friend back, that's all."

Elly drew back a breath. "Friend?" Surprise bloomed across her features. "Wait, the pokemon? You're here for it?"

"I'm here for him," Lyss corrected.

"You're nuts." Elly stepped back and stared. "You're going to get killed over a pokemon?"

"I got this far," Lyss muttered, "and I'm almost there. You said it yourself, he's just through the checkpoint."

"The one you have no chance of getting through you mean? Even if I hadn't caught you just now?" The Rocket crossed her arms. "Oh yeah, great plan." Lyss scowled at her. "Besides, without me you wouldn't of even gotten here."

The girl was right, blast her. Without Elly-

Lyss froze, her eyes going wide as inspiration struck her.

"Did you just have a seizure?"

Lyss refocused on her. "What? No. I was just realizing you're right. Without you, I'd never have been able to infiltrate Team Rocket's very headquarters." A smile pulled at Lyss' lips, but it had nothing to do with gratitude. "You've been a big help."

Elly made no immediate response to that, but the confidence flowed out of her face like blood from a wound. It was unlike any expression Lyss had seen on her. "You wouldn't," Elly said.

"Why not? I'm sure they'll have lots of questions once they catch me. I'll make sure you get all the credit, don't worry."

Elly's hands tightened in fists. "I'll be lucky if they just kill me."

"That seems a little overly dramatic."

"You don't know Team Rocket that well then."

That gave Lyss pause. The organization was known for many things, and none of it was good. What would they do to a simple grunt member over something like this? From Elly's reaction, she probably didn't want to know. Lyss tugged a hand through her hair, twisting the strands. "How about we find a way we both get out of this then?"

Elly strode forward, closing the space between them. "Or I could just kill you."

"I'll scream," Lyss squeaked as she struggled to back away from the girl. The wall wasn't being cooperative to her efforts. Elly stopped though, no more then arm's length away and far too close for comfort.

"You'll scream? Seriously?"

The girls mocking tone made Lyss scowl. "What? Not all of us get combat training you know."

"You're being pretty difficult about this."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Should I be happy you want to kill me?"

Elly grumbled something and spun away, throwing herself into a nearby chair with enough force to make it bounce. "Alright, fine. What do you want?"

"I told you what I want," Lyss sighed. "I'm here for my friend, Smoke."

"Smoke?" Elly snorted. "For a fire type? Nice and original name there."

A flush spread through Lyss' face. "Shut up. He's a Flareon with a streak of gray fur. It works."

Elly's brow went up. "A Flareon? Pretty rare - wait," her hand went into her pocket, coming back out with a datapad. Elly tapped at it a few times, her eyes flicking back and forth before she began to speak - reading from the pad, Lyss figured. "All Rockets be on the lookout for a young girl with a Flareon in her possession. Mid-teens, black hair, blue-green eyes. The Flareon has some discoloration to its fur. Both are to be taken alive. The girl was captured around Mt. Moon but escaped the facility."

Lyss swallowed past the dryness in her throat when Elly looked up, meeting her eyes. The girl held them a moment before going back to the screen. "Location now unknown, but she is believed to have left Cerulean. Citizens there identified her as Lyss Lake, adopted ward to Carson and Karen Lake. Birth name unknown. Her guardians offered no helpful information and have been taken for further questioning."

Taken for further questioning. Lyss blinked as the room blurred out of focus - she knew what Team Rocket meant when it said that. Her parents didn't deserve that. One good thing came out of the message at least, and Lyss' lips twitched in a meager smile. "Guess that means you'd be in trouble if you killed me."

Elly's head plunked onto the metal desk, startling Lyss. Part of her wanted to console the Rocket, but it didn't seem appropriate. She twisted her hands instead. "You could still help me."

Hands slammed on the desk and Lyss jumped again. Elly's eyes blazed. "Why in Arceus' name would I do that? You've basically murdered me!"

"Oh come on," Lyss fiddled with her hair, "it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Elly stood. "You know, maybe I'll just kill you and take my chances."

The door hissed open as Lyss was on the verge of panic and both girls turned. A man stood in the doorway, his Team Rocket uniform more intricate then Elly's and adorned with more emblems. When Elly saluted him Lyss mimicked her.

The set of his jaw and glare in his eyes weren't reassuring. "What is going on in here?" his voice boomed as his eyes flashed between them. "These offices aren't for your petty squabbles!"

Elly had been intimidating, but this guy was on a whole different level. Lyss couldn't respond, the words wouldn't come out. He was going to drag her off, they'd find out she wasn't and Rocket, then-

"Sorry, Sir," Elly replied. "It won't happen again."

"You two'll be down cleaning out the lab waste if it does!" He pulled out a datapad to match Elly's. "What's your unit?"

"We're in Omega-42, Sir," Elly said.

"Noted," he stepped aside and snapped a sharp gesture. "Now report back and stop screwing around!"

Elly swept up another salute, which Lyss again mimicked, and marched out the door. Lyss followed right on her heels, gulping as she passed the man. She kept her eyes trained on the other girls back until they rounded the next corner. Elly's shoulder slumped. "And now I've lied for you. Fantastic."

Lyss edged closer and put her hand on the girls shoulder. "Th-"

"Don't thank me," Elly pulled away from her hand, "I just like my head where it is."

"Fine," Lyss glanced along the hall, watching for anyone that might overhear. "Well the sooner I get Smoke out of here, the sooner you can pretend you never saw me, and the fewer people will see us together."

"I was taking you to see the pokemon, not break it out."

"I can bash you over the head and lock you in a closet if you prefer."

Elly chuckled. "I might, actually."

"Wha-" Lyss went silent as they passed a pair of Rockets. "Seriously?"

"No," the other girl scoffed. "I told you, I like my head where it is."

Lyss sighed - this girl was impossible. "Where are we going anyway? Wasn't that checkpoint the other way?"

Elly threw her arms up. "Are you really this dumb? Arceus!"

"Stop yelling," Lyss hissed. "You're going to get us caught again!" Matching glares clashed between them. "And I'm not dumb."

The other girl groaned. "We can't use the checkpoint, remember? You're not a Rocket. The Exec that yelled at us would've noticed too, and though we're technically allowed to pass through there, that's pretty much opposite of the way he told us to go."

Lyss lapsed into silence. The girl didn't have to be so mean about it. Though she was a Rocket, so maybe it just came with the territory. And to think Lyss was warming up to the girl before! She should just run off and be done with it. Without Elly though, Lyss' chances of getting out of there with Smoke plummeted. She couldn't throw away the help.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in this," Lyss muttered, "even if I can't really feel sorry for a Rocket."

"So you're sorry but you're not sorry."

Ugh. "No-"

"I get it, relax." They came up to a break in the hall and Lyss stopped when Elly stuck her arm out to block her. There were people in view, but they were a good way off. Elly turned to her. "Look, if you really want to have a chance breaking out your pokemon you're going to need a distraction."

Lyss tilted her head. "How will that get me through the security?"

"It won't, you'll have to bust in. But at least it'll keep others from coming after you."

It didn't sound like a good plan. Lyss gestured down at herself. "Do I look like I can fight anyone in Team Rocket?"

"No, but you are wearing one of our uniforms, so I'm guessing you're more capable then you look."

Lyss frowned - was that an insult or a compliment? "I don't know if it's a good idea, but how would we make a good enough distraction for that anyway?"

"You, not we," Elly corrected. "I'm already in deep enough. And you'd do it by freeing the people they captured back in Pewter. Security's lighter around them."

That confused Lyss - they took people from the city? She thought they just killed them all. Then her eyes widened. "Oh Arceus, Slate. I completely forgot they took him."

"They took someone you knew and you forgot?' Elly shook her head. "Wow."

"Oh stop it," Lyss snapped, though she could feel her cheeks heat up. "I just got caught up in saving Smoke, that's all. I would've remembered."

"Mmhmm. Anyway, the place they take captured people is different from where they take pokemon. We can get there without passing a checkpoint. You'll have to find exactly where they're being held, free at least one of them, and hightail it back to the pokemon holding. You won't have much time." Elly nudged Lyss and they both moved on down the hall. People were approaching.

Elly was a member of Team Rocket, so it was expected that she wouldn't help Lyss any more then she had to, but it was still weird hearing the girl was going to abandon her. A question bounced around in Lyss' head. Why not? "Why'd you join Team Rocket, Elara?"

The girl made a face. "I take it back, that's weird. Stick to Elly. And is now really the time for that?"

"Doesn't sound like there's going to be any other time for it."

"Guess that's true. You're just trying to talk me into helping you though."

Lyss wasn't about to admit that. "I'm serious. You seem decent enough most of the time-"

"Decent enough?"

"-so why're you here with Team Rocket? They're nothing but bad."

Elly shrugged. "If you can handle me, you could handle a lot of people here. You act like we're all monsters."

"What am I supposed to think when you go around killing people?"

"That we're doing our jobs?"

"Well your job makes you a monster then."

"Stop being naive," Elly hissed, keeping her voice low. "Work for Team Rocket or get abused by them, that's the choice we get. That's life. If you can't see that, you're just a spoiled brat. What's the worst to happen to you? Chased out of town for a few days? Poor thing."

Once again, heat spread through Lyss' face. Her muscles tensed and it was only when Elly stumbled back, wide eyed and with a hand pressed to her face, that Lyss realized she'd smacked her. In the next moment, Elly snagged her wrist and dragged her down the hall, away from the snickering observers.

"The hell's wrong with you?" Elly snapped. "Are you trying to get us caught?"

"Don't judge me, you don't know anything about me. I'm an orphan, remember? Your message said so. What do you think happened to my parents?" Lyss glared at the girl's unflinching face. "No, I'll make it easier - who do you think killed them?"

That changed Elly's expression. The scowl fell from her face. "But it said they don't know your real name. Surely you don't remember them."

"Does it matter? No, I don't remember them, I never knew them, but I knew they were gone, and now I know they were killed." Lyss shook as she spoke, swiping a harsh hand across her damp eyes. "They didn't abandon me, they were killed - by you people."

Silence settled over them, Elly still dragging Lyss by the wrist. The other girl was a Rocket, Lyss shouldn't have expected any better. Of course she'd defend the organization and its people. Stupid, block-headed...

"We're almost there," Elly muttered, "so decide what you're doing quickly." Lyss said nothing, didn't even want to look at the girl. "How do you know your parents were killed if you didn't know them?"

Part of Lyss wanted to keep ignoring Elly, but another part wanted the argument. "Because I know who they were, Slate told me. He and my guardians knew."

"Why does it matter who they were?"

"It just does."

Elly growled. "You can't just shut up like that. If you have a point, make it."

"What do you care?" Lyss tore her arm from Elly's grip. "You're just waiting to get rid of me and go back to your precious Team Rocket."

"You're ridiculous! I'm helping at least, aren't I?" Lyss frowned, but didn't argue. "Stop being difficult and just tell me."

Lyss was already in a difficult position with the girl, Elly could turn her in at any time if she was willing to take the punishment. What could it hurt? "You've heard the name Waterflower before, right?"

"Of course, everyone has." Lyss could see it in the girl's eyes when the realization hit. "Wait wait, you can't mean-"

"That's my real name. I'm the last Waterflower. That's why I know Team Rocket killed my parents."

Elly vanished from view and Lyss panicked - had the girl run off to turn Lyss in? She relaxed after turning around, as there was Elly, standing stone still in the hall. Still, maybe it hadn't been the smartest thing to tell a Rocket, even her. Lyss took tentative steps toward her, peering at the girl's face. "You're not going to turn me in now, are you? Can you give me a head start at least?"

"Why'd you tell me?" The girl asked. Elly stared at her without blinking and Lyss fought the urge to turn and run. It was odd to trust Elly, insane even, but Lyss did in a way. At the same time, she feared the girl for what she could do. It made no sense.

"I don't know," Lyss half turned, hoping to spur Elly into motion. The girl remained rooted though and Lyss sighed. "Maybe because you're easy to talk to-"

"We only argue."

Lyss glared and walked off. "Fine then."

"Lyss," Elly sighed, jogging to catch up, "I'm serious. You know how much the boss would give to get his hands on you? And you hate Team Rocket, and I'm a Rocket. You have no reason to trust me."

"I don't know!" Her raised voice earned her some looks from those walking by. After a deep breath, she continued at a lower volume. "But you're the best friend I have right now, even if it is fake." Lyss looked anywhere but at Elly, not wanting to see her face. "Maybe it was dumb. Maybe I'm dumb."

A hand grabbed her, pulling her to a stop. Lyss risked a glance at Elly, but the girl was looking down the side hall. "We're here. The holding area should be just down this hall. It shouldn't be hard for you to get in, but you may have to get creative." Elly let Lyss go and took a step back the way they'd come. "You won't have much time remember. Get back to the other checkpoint as fast as you can."

Lyss watched the girl go. "Elly..."

"Hurry up," was all the girl said as she left.

It was an odd feeling being alone again. She'd expected it at first, before the random Rocket pushed her way into Lyss' business back on the transport. Now that it was quiet again it felt wrong. Funny how fast she'd gotten used to the girl.

Lyss put one foot in front of the other, focusing on the doors in front of her. A sign on each door hinted their purpose - some just had a person's name, an office maybe - and the hall ended with a final door that read 'Holding Area'. Must be the place.

With a touch the door slid aside, revealing a room that didn't fit with her notion of a jail. More office walls to match every other room in the building surrounded her as she entered. Pictures hung on the walls. A plant adorned an end table, a misaligned stack of magazines beside it. Doors around the room stood closed, with no signs or windows to explain their purpose, and in the middle of it all was a single desk. Behind it lounged a man in a Team Rocket uniform who rocked a lazy back and forth motion as he tilted the chair back on its legs.

He also happened to be staring at her.

"Can I help you?"

What should she say? He'd want to know who she was, why she was there, who told her to go there, and who knew what else. He was too far for her to surprise attack and too strong to fight head on. Would there be an alarm button there on his desk? How easily could he reach it?

"Miss?"

"I'm here to question the prisoner," she blurted.

He smirked. "The prisoner, huh? Which one then?"

"A middle-aged man, believed to be the leader."

"Pretty sure he's not here," the guy said, tapping through a few menu's on his screen. "Nope, transferred straight up to the boss."

That made things more difficult. "I'll just question one of the others then."

More tapping at his screen. "Name and unit?"

"Elara, Omega-42." Sorry, Elly.

"Alright, go on in."

Lyss slid around the desk, angling for the door closest to it. She eyed they guy at the desk as she went around, watching as he went back to lounging and staring at a screen on his desk, an action movie absorbing his attention from the look of it. So he was occupied and didn't peg her as a threat. it was the best possible situation for her.

With a deep breath, Lyss slid the stick from her belt. She wasn't good enough to make use of it in a fight, but like this maybe she had a chance. She had to do something. Pulling the club over her shoulder like a bat, she took a deep breath, grit her teeth, and swung.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

An alarm blared through the room, startling her even as the guard jumped upright in his chair. Her well aimed swing went awry, cracking over the man's shoulder blade and skipping off. He yelled and spun on her, his face a mix of surprise and anger. She yelped and swung again. The club took him in the jaw this time, snapping his head around and sending him sprawling over his desk. His vid screen splintered and winked out while random objects careened off the desk, then it was silent as he lay still - except for the wailing alarm.

Lyss breathed in great gulps, her pulse racing. Whatever set off the alarm wasn't going to wait for her though, so she left the guard where he was and swung open the closest door. The room inside was a steel box and not much else - four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. The sole occupant there sat strapped into a chair off against the wall, and Lyss hurried over. She fumbled at the metal bands holding the person's arms and legs in place, but couldn't find a release. The bands were solid.

Cursing, she raced back out to the desk, ignoring the prisoner. She tugged the guard back into his chair, grunting with the effort and nearly toppling him onto the floor. One vid screen sat broken, but a second was built into the desk itself. Nothing on it made much sense to her, but she poked at it anyway. Words flashed across the screen - 'Alert in Progress. Lockdown Activated.'

She cursed again. This wasn't going her way.

Lyss turned to the guard instead, hands scouring over his belt and through his pockets. In one, she found his datapad, but it was locked and useless. Nothing hung from his belt but his weapon, similar to her own. No keys or override codes. Nothing to help her free the people there.

She slammed a hand on the screen and took off out the door. Staying put Smoke at risk, and she wouldn't do that. The people held there weren't likely anyone important, Team Rocket might tire of them eventually. If not, well, it's not like they had a home or family to return to...

Out in the halls Rockets were everywhere. Some raced past while others crowded around security desks, no doubt awaiting orders. Either way, it made moving around easier for her, and Lyss took off down the hall at a run. It still didn't make sense though. She was supposed to trigger the alarm while getting the prisoners out of there, or let them do it after they were loose, but she never got that far. So what did happen?

At her pace it was hard to remember where to go, and she skidded to a stop after missing a turn. Nobody paid her any mind, and she worried about where they were all going. If security ended up being stronger around Smoke rather then weaker she'd be in trouble.

A blast of fire shot down the hall and she fell backwards with a shriek as it left a black streak along the metal wall. She didn't bother to get up as she spun to watch the fire. Sure enough, it was dissipating, and she knew that silhouette inside it. Her chest swelled. "Smoke!"

He'd was racing back her way before she even got the word out, pouncing on her and rubbing against her hard enough to knock her over. Lyss laughed and squeezed him to her. "But how'd you get out?"

"There's time for that later! More are coming!" Hands grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to her feet. Smoke bounced ahead, so Lyss followed, glancing at the newcomer as she went. Her jaw dropped.

"Elly?"

"He nearly roasted me when I got him out!" Elly said. "You'd better be grateful!"

Grateful didn't begin to describe it. Lyss didn't have a good enough word for it. "I- but why?"

Elly's face reddened and she grimaced. "We'll talk about that later, we need to get out of here!"

"I can't," Lyss said, snagging the girl's arm. "They said Slate's up with Giovanni. He'll torture and kill him."

"You think he'll do any less to you? To us?"

It was hard to shrug while running, and Elly probably didn't notice. "I can't leave him here." Rockets rushed down the hall toward them, so they turned down a different hall. Lyss had no idea where they were going. "Just tell me how to get up there, please. Then you should get out of here."

Growling something Lyss didn't catch, Elly yelled Smoke's name and tugged Lyss toward one of the many doors along the hall. The girl shoved on the door when it didn't open fast enough and the three of them barreled through it. Inside was a stairwell, and Elly was already tugging her up the stairs, Smoke a few steps ahead.

"They'll be expecting us to escape," Elly said, "so we might get some time by going up instead. It won't take the cameras long to figure it out though."

"Elly, no," Lyss frowned. "You need to get out of here, I can't drag you into this."

"Oh shut up." Lyss blinked at the harsh words. "There's no way security didn't see me break your friend out. You're stuck with me now, so deal with it."

There wasn't much to say to that. Maybe later. Her attention went instead to her mounting fatigue. "So," she managed between breaths, "how many floors up are we going?"

Elly chuckled. "Tired already? Some Rocket you make." It wasn't funny, but Lyss couldn't help responding to the girl's smirk in kind. "Can't use the elevators, security would shut them down. Keep running."

Was Elly aware she hadn't answered the question? Probably. Brat. "Do you know where we're going?"

"I've got a pretty good idea." Noises pounded into the stairwell above them and Lyss bumped into Elly as the girl stopped and turned back. "Go back, go back." The trio all rushed for the closest door, Smoke slipping between them to rush ahead as they pushed through.

'You are familiar to me.'

Lyss startled at the voice, panic flashing as she searched for whoever spotted them. The halls were clear though, and a hand shoved her forward. "Come on, Lyss! Run!" Right after the words were out, Elly skittered to a stop. Rockets charged down the hall toward them. The girls shifted to the other direction, but stopped before they even got going as more Rockets moved in on them from that way. Elly cursed. "They herded us out here."

Out in front, Smoke stood his ground and growled. There was no element of surprise this time though, and no way for him to dig through the metal floors anyway. Lyss was out of ideas. She'd come so far and gotten so close. One hand rubbed at the charm still in her pocket as she watched Team Rocket close in on them. Some good luck charm it was.

A wave of dizziness passed over her and the room spun until she closed her eyes against the sick feeling. She reached out to Elly to steady herself, and the other girl tilted under her grasp, almost sending Lyss to the ground. She heard Elly groan, mirroring her own feelings, but it was when Smoke's growl stopped that her interest peaked and she forced her eyes open.

The room swam for a moment before settling, but one thing was clear - there wasn't a Rocket in sight. For that matter, there wasn't even a hallway around. They were in a room larger then she thought possible. It must take up the entire floor of the building. Machines and equipment filled the room, forming their own little sections even without walls. Monitor screens flashed everywhere she looked, alive with meaning, though she had no idea what. Empty glass containers larger then her and robotic arms tipped with assorted tools gave her a bad first impression - she wanted less to do with the place with each new things she saw.

Lyss edged back against her friend. "Elly, where are we?"

Elly shook her head, wincing before speaking. "Nowhere I've ever been. How'd we get here?"

"Was hoping you knew." Smoke was shuffling around, ears perked as he looked around. "Smoke, stay-" He took off before she could tell him to stay put. "Smoke!" she called as she raced off after him. She heard Elly call out, and she hoped the girl would follow. Lyss wasn't about to lose track of her oldest friend in this situation though.

The chase turned out to be a short one as she caught up to him in one of the sectioned off areas. He sat on the floor, turning to look at her as she stopped. "What's wrong with you today? Don't run off and leave me like that."

A whisper of movement caught her attention, a shifting of fabric you only hear in a quiet room. Her eyes raised to the bed - more of a table really - occupying the center of electronics around them. A pair of eyes stared back at her, a dullness to them that scared her. More so when the recognition flickered in them. "Lyss?" their voice rasped, hardly louder then the movement before.

Lyss didn't want to look at him, didn't want her eyes to wander over his broken body, but she couldn't stop. His clothes had been cut away and hung in strips and flaps, baring skin that alternated patches of red, purple, or black. The unmarred areas of his body had patches or wires stretching away from him, connecting him to a screen over the table that flashed with numbers and graphs that had no meaning to her. His hands were the worst. He'd never hold the books he enjoyed again.

"Slate." She took a step forward, but was somehow afraid to even touch him. Her voice cracked. "No, Slate."

"Lyss," he croaked, a grimace twitching at his lips. "Shouldn't be here."

Feet pounded up behind her. "Lyss-" Elly went quiet, then, "Is this him?" A nod was all she managed, and a hand fell on her shoulder. "Lyss... He can't walk. There's no way we can get him out of here."

Lyss shrugged the hand off and stepped closer to Slate, right up beside the table. Nothing was hidden at that angle, nothing unclear. There was no blood, not on the surface, but the bruises that littered him were far scarier. And the black patches, burns so severe it was like bacon left too long on the griddle. Even that was only what she could see, what else was there that she couldn't?

"Lyss," his voice came again and she looked up to his face. The smallest smile was there, for her benefit alone no doubt. "Go."

"I can't-" she swallowed back the words. There was nothing she could do for him, nowhere she could take him where Team Rocket couldn't reach, even if she did manage to get him away from the base. Staying would get her caught, not to mention her friends, and she knew how he felt about her worth. She was going to be everything to his revolution. Did it matter anymore? Lower Pewter was already gone, if Slate died too, there wouldn't be a revolution anymore.

True or not though, she couldn't let that be in his last thoughts. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

His head shifted, he winced even at that, and his eyes lifted toward the console his wires led to. "Button."

Lyss nibbled her lower lip. She didn't like this. "What will happen if I press that?"

"Peace," he groaned, his eyes sliding closed. "Rest."

Death. That's what he meant.

Her hands shook, and she clenched them tight. She couldn't, he was the closest thing to family she could claim. Even if she barely knew him, he knew her parents, both pairs. How could she kill him?

A click brought her head around in a snap, black hair whipping across her face. Elly stood there, her hand sliding from the console, her face stern and strong. Lyss could only gape at her. "Why- how could you?"

"Lyss," the name was harsh and commanding, "there's no time for thinking here. We need to get out of here. Even he wanted you to leave!" At his mention, Lyss spun back to him. She could at least say goodbye.

His eyes were still closed, but everything else was different. No strain lined his face or pinched at his eyelids. A smile creased his face in their place, different from the forced one he wore when she got there. Worst of all was his chest - it wasn't moving.

Lyss stood frozen. It couldn't have happened that fast. He couldn't already be gone. There was more she had to talk to him about. Much more.

"Lyss! We have to go!"

"Now don't be rude, you just got here." The voice was like lightning down Lyss' spine. Even as she turned, she knew who it was. Everyone knew that voice.

Giovanni.

A casual smile played at his lips as he waved a gesture their way. "It was rude of you to destroy one of my valued subjects. I may need to use you in his place." Lyss wanted to yell, to lash out in anger at the man, but she couldn't. This was the man she'd been raised to fear since she could remember. He'd ruled, undying, for generations. Nobody stood up to him. Not if they wanted to live, he'd demonstrated that more then once.

She looked to Elly for help, but the girl was just as stiff as she was. Giovanni was her boss, she probably knew more reason to fear him then Lyss did.

As the Rocket boss strolled toward them, Lyss slid away. It was only a step before she bumped into the table, and she flicked a glance back. Her gaze stuck, glued to Slate laying there. He was kind to her when she needed it. Even if he only wanted something from her, it hadn't been hard to see that he was just a kind person in general. Now he was gone, and it was Giovanni's fault.

Lyss ground her teeth and squeezed her nails into her palms. She stepped forward, up beside Elly, then in front of her with Smoke, glaring at Giovanni with all the anger she could muster. His brow rose and a smirk lifted his lips higher, the derision there fueling her anger. She would not back down to this scum.

'Find me.'

The words broke through her hateful thoughts. It was the same voice from before. It was weird though, Smoke's ears were perked, but Giovanni didn't act like anyone had spoke at all. Nobody else was around.

"There's nowhere to go," the man scoffed as she peered into the corners of the room. "You cannot leave this floor without my say so."

"How did we get up here then?" she responded with all the sass she could muster.

His smirk fell. "A question I intend to have answered." Lyss' attitude slipped back at the menace in his tone. Angry or not, she was trapped with the man who ruled the country, and his questions weren't going to be pleasant.

That's when Smoke took off running.

Lyss glanced at Giovanni for only a second before she bolted after the Flareon. Smoke had better know where he's going.

"Nidoking," Giovanni said, his voice loud but controlled. "Stop them."

Her fear spiked when she felt the tremor vibrate through the floor. Whatever a Nidoking was, it was large, or heavy, or both.

Don't look at it. Keep running. Don't look back.

Smoke didn't have the same issue though, as he spun and jumped back beside her. She threw her arms around his neck and tugged. "No, Smoke! Just-" Words failed her as she spotted the thing charging them. Enormous didn't do it justice, as it must've been around three stories tall, and she understood then why the ceiling was so high on this floor. Metal plates created a patchwork armor over the creature's dark purple skin, even covering its head and giving it an iron jaw. The worst was its horn, which sparked with arcs of electricity. Wires ran down from the horn and over its back - to what, she couldn't see - while more snaked down its arms to some contraptions on its clawed hands.

That thing wouldn't even need to slow down to kill them, it'd just run them over. And it was crossing the room fast.

"Smoke, please," she tugged harder as panic filtered into her voice. "Get us out of here. Just run." He wouldn't come away though, and his body was heating up, getting ready for the fight. There was nothing she could do to move him if he didn't want to be moved, so she shoved her face into his fur, squeezing him in a hug. "I'm not leaving you here."

"You can't protect her if you're dead, idiot!" Lyss raised back up at Elly's yell, squeaking in surprise when the girl swatted Smoke over the head. "Go! Before you get her killed!"

Lyss breathed in relief as Smoke, apparently convinced, squirmed out of her grip and turned to run. She didn't get to dwell on it, as Elly yanked her up and shoved her after him. All three bolted across the room, weaving around the assortment of objects littered everywhere. Considering the crashing sounds from behind, the Nidoking was going through things, not around. They lost ground with every swerve.

Lyss chased Smoke into an enclosure of equipment so tall it may as well be a wall, only to trip over him as he stopped just inside. She yelped and tumbled to the floor, pulling her hands in as she felt Elly stumble past her.

"What the heck, Flareon? Why'd we stop..." Elly's shout trailed off, which was odd. What happened? Lyss pushed herself up from the ground.

Oh.

She didn't need to look at her friends to know they were seeing the same thing. The massive cage across from them took up the majority of the area, its bars putting off a dim glow in the bright room. Some sort of stones hung from the bars, a uniform spacing set between them - except for an odd gap. The whole thing was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

Yet it wasn't the cage itself that left her speechless. The space inside the bars was occupied with the oddest creature she'd ever seen. Pokemon - was it a pokemon? - were often strange looking, but this one was something like a pure white Stantler. Sort of. And it was regal in a way, like king of the forest or something.

It didn't belong there, locked up in Giovanni's personal floor of the Team Rocket headquarters. Whatever it was, it shouldn't be caged like that.

'You have it.'

Lyss' eyes widened even further. Was this who was talking to her?

A loud crash from far too close made her jump up from the floor as the Nidoking smashed aside the wall of equipment blocking its way. They should run, but they weren't. Smoke hunched in front of her, his fur blazing with his inner fire. Elly stood by her side, staring up at the beast. Frozen in fear? Lyss grabbed her hand and spun, looking for somewhere to go, any path away from the monster. There wasn't one, the area was enclosed, with only the entrance they came through, and it was occupied by the giant intent on stomping them into the ground.

This wasn't good.

"Nidoking, stop." Giovanni's voice carried through the air and the beast stopped. It didn't growl or cower or shift, it just stood there while the Rocket boss strolled past. "There's no point in continuing this chase. It'll take days to put this place back in order, and you will occupy me during that time. Trying to escape further will only extend your time with me."

Lyss shuddered - spending time with Giovanni was a worse fate then she wanted to consider. They were trapped though. Smoke was no match for the monster under Giovanni's control, and there was nowhere left to run. There probably wasn't anywhere to run in the first place. The floor was sealed off. Why were they even there?

'Return it to me.'

The voice came again, and Smoke's ears twitched. Lyss still couldn't tell if the creature in the cage was the one talking to her, but she didn't know what it wanted returned, so it hardly mattered. It was being vague when she really didn't have the time to puzzle it out. She slipped a hand into her pocket, feeling for her stone. If she ever needed a lucky charm, it was now.

She rolled the stone in her fingers for only a second before frowning and pulling it from her pocket. It was warm, hot even, but it was just a rock, how could it-

"What is that?" She looked up at Giovanni's question and found him looking at her, his smirk gone. She almost answered him too, but kept her mouth shut instead. Why should she tell him anything? His eyes narrowed. "Answer me, girl."

She stuck her tongue out at him. Sure, it was juvenile, but it felt good. Giovanni's expression darkened and he started toward them when Smoke nipped the rock from her hand.

"Smoke!" she yelped. "What-" The heat coming off him spiked as he held the rock in his teeth, and Lyss threw her hands up to block her face as she backed away. It wasn't even an attack, not one that she knew of, but the temperature of the air around him was rising to almost Heat Wave levels. His inner fire must be going crazy.

She heard Giovanni shout then. "Nidoking! Stop that thing!" Her heart leapt into her throat when the pounding footsteps moved toward them. She wasn't close enough to drag Smoke away this time, it was all she could do to just peek through here arms to watch.

No! She wouldn't lose him! Gritting her teeth against the heat, Lyss urged her feet forward. Her skin tingled even through her clothes as sweat slid down her face. She wouldn't make it to him in time though. There was no way.

Another surge of heat swirled up, lifting her hair, before blasting outward and throwing her to the ground. The force left her dazed, but she dragged herself up. What happened to Smoke?

The heat abated somewhat, enough for her to look for Smoke without burning her eyes, and she found him standing right where he had before. No Nidoking stood over him, or anywhere near, so she looked to Giovanni, then followed his turned head back the way they'd come.

There was the beast. The metal across its hide glowed red hot as it pushed to its feet.

Lyss gaped at Smoke. That was impossible, he wasn't that strong, not enough to blast that behemoth across the building with pure fire. He looked back to her then and she saw her stone still held in his teeth. It glowed red, but was undamaged.

"Impossible." Giovanni spoke up, as he too stared at Smoke. His expression of surprise morphed into something else though, something dark and frightening. He stalked toward them with hurried steps. "Give me that plate."

Smoke turned and leapt away before the man covered half the distance to them. Stifling heat rose in the room again and Smoke radiated a coat of fire as he bounded toward the cage. Flames jumped and sparked, engulfing and obscuring him into little more then a ball of fire as he shot forward.

Lyss' breath caught - she knew that move, too well considering she never told him to use it. It'd never been that powerful though. He'd kill himself.

She screamed his name as he hit the cage bars, right in the gap between the stones, but the concussion of force tore the breath from her even as it knocked her back to the ground. The ceiling spun in her eyes, and she squinted against the sick feeling. Her head pounded and her body ached from getting tossed around, but again she pushed herself up to rest on her elbows.

The cage was a smoking mess, with an entire portion melted away. The bars weren't glowing, and as she watched the stones around the cage all slid free and fell to the floor. Inside, the white creature stirred and shifted for the first time she'd seen. Then she spotted Smoke, sprawled across the cage floor.

He wasn't moving.

Her throat clenched. She needed to go to him, but her body wasn't listening. A scream welled in her chest but wouldn't come out. Her eyes burned but she couldn't blink.

"No!" Giovanni shouted, the sound somehow distant. "Nidoking, stop him! Put him down!"

'Never again,' came that same voice from before, just as the white creature stepped clear of the cage. It stood before them all, free and clear, but Lyss saw only its legs as she stared at the small orange form still in the cage. 'You reach too far, human. You will not contain me again.'

Light flooded the room and Lyss flinched away, her eyes slamming shut against the brightness. Giovanni was shouting in the background and his roar of anger was all she heard as her world faded to black.

#

Feeling filtered into Lyss as she regained her senses. It was all muddled though. Her eyes blinked open, but nothing changed. Everything was dark and silent. She heard nothing, not even her own breathing.

Was she laying down or standing up? She couldn't feel a floor beneath her, only the ache in her limbs. Reaching her hands around was useless, she found nothing. She tried to move but stopped right after. Everything felt weird, like moving in water. Where was she?

'Thank you, human.' She startled as the voice carried to her again. 'Your efforts allow me to right what has been corrupted, and that is a boon I do not take lightly. Ask of me what you wish, and you will have it.'

Nothing made sense. What happened to the tower or Giovanni? Where was Elly? What was going on? Was this real?

Did it really matter? If there was even a chance it was true, that was enough. There was one thing she wanted.

"Help Smoke," Lyss answered, her voice wavering with a strange echo. "Please. If you're the one he broke out, you have to take care of him. Please!"

Silence returned, leaving her there in the emptiness. She couldn't see her hands, couldn't hear her breath or heartbeat. Would the voice answer? Did she ask too much?

Yet the voice boomed in her head again. 'You and he are much alike. Your bond is one I thought not to see again. If such is your wish, then I will see it done.

Lyss let out a sigh at the response as some of the tension bled out of her. "Thank you."

'However, you must understand that this world, the world you know, is wrong. It was never to exist, and it is not something I can fix. It must be erased. Begun again. An unfamiliar world will be all that awaits your friend. Do you still wish it?'

A different world couldn't be worse then where they'd come from. She didn't really understand everything the voice was talking about, but it didn't change things. "Yes. Just make sure someone takes care of him. I don't want him to be alone."

Swirls of light twisted through the air as she spoke. Everything around her, the whole surreal world, moved while she stayed motionless, feeling none of it. Lyss blinked in the increasing spin of light and motion, somehow not dizzy in the midst of it all.

'So be it.'

Then there was nothing.


	14. Epilogue

A/N: Finally revised the ending. I made some touches to the end of the previous chapter as well - just a few lines to tie it together a bit more. I was never happy with the previous version of this epilogue, but I didn't want to get deep into the aftermath either. Hopefully this will wrap things up in a more satisfying way! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, its world or characters. Only the story and original characters herein.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Her eyelids refused to open. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. At times in the past, she'd gone without sleep for days, and then slept for sixteen hours straight after finding someplace safe. Her body felt like that, like she'd been sleeping for so long her muscles needed to remember how to move.

If she'd been asleep that long though, she needed to get up. Find food and water – her throat was parched. Why'd she slept so long this time? Or rather, why had she stayed awake so long before hand? Her lips twisted in a small frown when she couldn't remember. She groaned and stretched, her limbs obeying slowly. Light cut in between her eyelids as she cracked them open.

The ceiling came into focus as she squinted up at it – solid, white, and clean. Her frown deepened at the unfamiliar sight and she turned her neck to look around. Two more beds – empty – lined the wall beside her. Medical equipment sat beside them, each as silent as her own. That no tubes or needles stuck her anywhere was promising, but it didn't change the fact that she was in a clinic of some sort. Alone, it seemed.

Smoke! Thinking of her friend brought her awake and aware, and she shot up from the bed – as much as she could in her stiff condition. Though she leaned over the bed on both sides, Lyss didn't see him anywhere. He wasn't there.

The door clicked open across the room and Lyss stiffened as a woman in a nurse's uniform and the brightest pink hair she'd ever seen walked in. A smile widened on the woman's face. "You're awake! That's great, we were rather worried about you."

Lyss blinked at the broad smile on the odd lady's face. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nurse Joy, of course." Joy tilted her head, face scrunching in a thoughtful look. "Perhaps you're still a bit disoriented? Can you tell me your name?"

Lyss nodded, the motion slow and deliberate. "It's Lyss-" she stumbled over her name like a tongue twister before getting it out, "Lake."

"Lyss Lake?" Joy asked, scratching away at a notepad.

Again, Lyss nodded, rolling her tongue and trying to wet her dry mouth. Must be dryer then she realized if she couldn't even say her own name. "Could I get some water?"

The look on Joy's face was so distraught Lyss almost laughed at the poor woman, "Oh! Of course, I'm so sorry. Chansey," she called after sticking her head out the door, "could you bring our patient something to drink?"

Turning back to Lyss, Joy smiled again. "I should've expected you to be thirsty. You've been asleep the whole day since they brought you in." The nurse went on – saying something about IV's or something – but Lyss zoned out. The whole day? That was a record even for her. And she mentioned someone brought Lyss in, but who? For that matter, where was she?

"Excuse me," Lyss said, interrupting whatever Joy was saying, "but where am I anyway?"

"This is the Celadon City Pokecenter," Joy said, stepping aside as a giant pink... something waddled into the room carrying a drink tray. A pokemon? If so, not one Lyss had ever seen before. Although, wait...

"Did you say Pokecenter?"

"Of course," Joy chirped. "Healing pokemon may be what we do best, but we can certainly take care of people in need too!"

Ignoring the extra commentary, Lyss frowned over the response. She couldn't be in a Pokecenter. They didn't exist, not since... Lyss cocked her head and tried to think. Why didn't Pokecenter's exist? Or, rather, why did she think they shouldn't, even though she was obviously in one? There weren't any where she grew up, for some reason. Had she ever been in one after she lived in-

Where did she grow up?

"Are you alright?"

The question snapped Lyss out of her daze and left her blinking at the nurse. "Um, I think so. Just confused."

One hand came up to cradle Joy's chin as she crossed her arms and gave Lyss a long look. "Hmm. Maybe you should stay here another night. Is there anyone we can call for you?"

Lyss looked up at the reminder. "Smoke!" She kicked her legs over the side of the bed, then paused at the wave of dizziness. "Is he here? He's a Flareon with a streak of gray fur."

"He is yours then!" Joy said. "We heard they found you near each other, but there's no trace of his pokeball."

"Can I see him?" Lyss asked, brushing aside the details. "Is he alright?"

"Perfectly fine. Don't worry." The words were just what Lyss needed to hear, and she almost fell back onto the bed from relief. "Chansey, can you go bring her Flareon in here?"

"Chansey!" the pokemon said, bouncing with the exclamation before trotting from the room. Lyss stared after it. The pokemon liked to shout its own name. Weird.

"Now then," Joy continued, "how about your parents? You should let them know you're alright."

An ache settled in her chest, and she tried to swallow it down. It didn't keep the stray tear from leaking out. "I don't have any parents." It was true, and she didn't even remember them, wasn't sure she'd ever known them. So why did the loss feel so fresh?

A passing glance at the sympathy on Joy's face was more then Lyss could look at. She didn't want to hear it in the nurse's voice too. Didn't want to hear the words.

A ball of orange fur racing into the room saved her from all that – and then tackled her. Giggles burst from her lips as Smoke rubbed, bumped, and otherwise smothered her in attention. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed even as he bumped his head against hers. Soothing warmth came off him in waves, and she soaked it up. Smoke was okay.

"I'll let you two get reacquainted," Joy said from the doorway, laughter sprinkling her words and her face. "But if you feel up to it, you should talk to the ones who brought you and Smoke in,"

Shoving Smoke's head down so she could see the woman, Lyss caught her eyes. "They're still here?"

Nurse Joy nodded, her pink curls bouncing. "Yep. Said they wanted to take a break," her voice lowered and her smile grew, "but I'm pretty sure they just wanted to make sure you were okay. They're out in the lobby if you feel up to it." With a final gesture in the appropriate direction, Nurse Joy left the room, the odd Chansey trailing behind her. She left the door open, and sounds carried in. Voices Lyss couldn't make out, but she could hear the happiness in them.

For his part, Smoke had nudged in until he was nearly sitting on her, which was something of a feat considering she was kneeling on the floor. She glided her fingers through his fur, smiling wider at the soft rumble that echoed from his chest. "What do you think, Smoke? Should we say hi to our mysterious saviors?" Smoke made a content huff of sound without moving at all. Laughing, Lyss pulled him close again before shoving him off her. He somehow managed to twist with the move so that he sat facing her, looking up at her with expectation as he huffed again. Lyss shook her head at him. "Alright then, come on, you."

With Smoke on her heels – literally if she wasn't careful – Lyss wandered out of the room and into the hall. Everything about the place caught her eye. Well maintained floors. Walls decorated with happy, peaceful art – even children's drawings. Nothing gave the impression that the building even knew the meaning of disrepair.

Then she moved past the windows, and her step paused in the sunbeam pouring in through the glass. Colors abounded out in the yard. Trees full of green leaves, flowers that stretched their bright petals up the sun, and grass like a flawless carpet. A flock of pidgey's bounced through, pecking and cooing. Beyond the greenery, streets stretched away into a dense forest of buildings. Not a crack in sight.

It all seemed so bizarre, and yet, she wasn't sure why.

Shaking away the thought, Lyss moved on as the hall opened into the spacious lobby. A familiar shock of pink hair caught her eye as Nurse Joy looked up from her place behind the counter. Lyss smiled in greeting, and the woman returned the expression before tilting her head in a pointing gesture across the room. A group of kids lounged in the chairs there, playing some sort of card game on the floor. They looked to be around her age, with the older boy being the closest. Maybe older. He had dark skin, short spiky hair, and a smirk that he settled on the other two, who seemed to vary between snapping and laughing. The only girl in the group wore her long orange hair in a ponytail she flipped around as she rolled her blue eyes at the other boy. That boy, the last of their group, wore a baseball cap with some emblem Lyss didn't recognize, but which left his short black hair poking out in messy strands. The smile seemed a permanent part of his face, with it tugging at his mouth even when he tried to scowl at the girl. The trio knew each other well, that much was clear.

"Well, Smoke, time to meet our saviors." Lyss scratched his head once more and took a deep breath before striding into the lobby. It felt weird just walking out to meet these people – people who'd helped her for no apparent reason. Her and Smoke, something she'd be forever grateful for. They at least deserved a hello.

The boy with the ball cap looked up first, and a fit of shyness fell over Lyss like a shroud. She raised her hand in a meager wave that matched the tentative smile on her face. If he, or the others, noticed any of her hesitance they didn't show it. They each jumped to their feet, smiles and greetings flowing from them without restraint. It still felt weird, even as Lyss eased into the situation, smiling more easily as the girl leaned over to scratch at Smoke's ears. More then that though, Lyss felt different there among them. She felt safe, even with everything strange and unfamiliar. She felt happy, of all things.

A groan rumbled from Smoke as the girl's fingers found one of his favorite spots, and he leaned into her, the sound going on and on until all four of them were laughing. It was silly and ridiculous, and she still didn't know what happened to bring her there, but maybe it didn't matter. For now, at least, she felt light. Content. Everything else could come later.

Still giggling from Smoke's antics, the girl held out her hand. "We're glad you're alright! I'm Misty, and this is Brock and Ash."

"Lyssandra," Lyss said, smiling and grasping the girl's hand. "But just call me Lyss. It's nice to meet you."

* * *

A/N: Age of Rocket is finished! Really hope you enjoyed the story, and thanks for reading!


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